>:  rii^abe'*;^  A.  Reeci. 


LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Division 


Section  • 


PKZ303 

R...3Z 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/hinduliteratureOOreed 


A 


HINDU  LITERATURE; 


21  1933 


OR 


THE  AHCIEHT  BOOKS  OF  HSTDIA. 


BY 

✓ 

ELIZABETH  A.  REED, 


Member  of  tue  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain. 


CHICAGO: 

S.  C.  GRIGGS  AND  COMPANY. 
1 S 9 1„ 


Copyright,  1890, 

BY  S.  C.  GRIGGS  AND  COMPANY. 


PRESS  OP 


KNIGHT  & LEONARD  CO.,  CHIC 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


HINDU  LITERATURE;  OR,  THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

niNDU  LITERATURE. 

PAGES. 

WHAT  IS  THE  VEDA  ? — THE  AGE  OF  THE  VEDAS — 

WHEN  WRITTEN  — THE  RIG-VEDA,  . . 1-27 

CHAPTER  II. 

MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 

RESEMBLANCE  BETWEEN  THE  MYTHOLOGIES 
OF  INDIA  AND  GREECE  — AGNI  — SURYA — 

— VARUNA  — YAMA  — USHAS  — MARUTS  — 

HYMNS  OF  EXECRATION — INCONSISTENT  THE- 
ORIES— INDRA — SIMILARITY  OF  NORTHERN 
MYTHS, 28-49 


CHAPTER  III. 

MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 

MULTIPLICATION  OF  DEITIES — ANALOGY  BE- 
TWEEN INDIAN  AND  GREEK  GODS — MODERN 
DEITIES  — BRAHMA,  VISHNU,  AND  SIVA  — 
INCARNATIONS  OF  VISHNU  — GARUDA  — 
lii 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


iv 


RECOVERY  OF  TIIE  LOST  NECTAR  OF  THE 
GODS  — SIVA, 50-65 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  VEDAS  AND  THE  SUTTEE. 

LITERARY  IMPORTANCE — DISCUSSIONS  BETWEEN 
EUROPEAN  AND  NATIVE  SCHOLARS  — COLE- 
brooke’s  TRANSLATION  OF  DISPUTED  TEXT — 
MUTILATION  OF  THE  TEXT  — TESTIMONY  OF 
RAJA  RADHAKANT  DEB  — THE  RITE  NOT 
ADVOCATED  IN  THE  RIG-VEDA — DISGRACE 
OF  AVOIDING  THE  SUTTEE — INSTANCE  OF 
ESCAPE — ENTHUSIASM  OF  NATIVE  POETS  — 

LORD  WILLIAM  BENTINCK,  ....  66-73 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  BRAHMANAS. 

THE  SECOND  GRAND  DIVISION  OF  VEDIC  LITER- 
ATURE— AGE  OF  THE  BRAHMANAS — BURDEN 
OF  CEREMONIES — PENANCE  FOR  BAD  DREAMS 
— SACRIFICES — EXTRACT  FROM  THE  FOURTH 
BRAHMANA — TIIE  STORY  OF  SUNAHSEPA  — 

A HUMAN  SACRIFICE  — TRADITION  OF  THE 
FLOOD  AS  FOUND  IN  THE  SATAPATHA-BRAH- 

MANA, 74-87 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TIIE  CODE  OF  MANU. 

THE  DATE  OF  THE  CODE — THE  TRIBE  OR  SCHOOL 
OF  MANAVAS  — THE  CODE  A MEANS  OF  PER- 
PETUATING THE  RULES  OF  CASTE  — DIVINE 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


V 


ORIGIN  CLAIMED  FOR  THE  LAWS  OF  MANU — 

CASTE  — DIVINE  RIGHTS  OF  BRAHMANS  — 

THE  KSHATRIYA — THE  VAISYA— THE  SUDRA 
— MARRIAGE  A PURIFYING  RITE  — RULES 
FOR  CHOOSING  A WIFE — MARRIAGE — WOMAN’S 
RIGHTS  — PENANCES  — CRIMINAL  CODE  — FU- 
NERAL CEREMONIES, 88-98 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  UPANISHADS. 

THE  THIRD  GRAND  DIVISION  OF  VEDIC  LITER- 
ATURE— THE  UPANISHADS — THE  DOCTRINAL 
PORTION  OF  THE  VEDA — DERIVATION — RAM- 
MOHUN  ROY — NUMBER  OF  THE  UPANISHADS 
— PLACE  IN  VEDIC  CHRONOLOGY — SRIITI  OR 
REVEALED  KNOWLEDGE  — CHANDOGYA  UPA- 
NISHAD  — IMPORTANCE  OF  OM — EXTRACTS 
FROM  THE  CHANDOGYA — THE  KENA  UPA- 
NISHAD — EXTRACT  FROM  THE  KENA  — THE 
KATHA  UPANISHAD  — THE  AITAREYA  UPA- 
NISHAD  — EXTRACT  FROM  THE  AITAREYA  — 

THE  IiAUSHlTAKI  BRAHMANA  UPANISHAD  — 
DISCOURSE  UPON  FUTURE  LIFE— THE  YAJA- 
SANEYI-SATOHITA  UPANISHAD  — EXTRACT 
FROM  THE  VA JASANEYI  — THE  ISA  UPA- 
NISHAD— THE  COMPLETION  OF  REVELATION,  99-113 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  MONOTHEISM  OP  THE  UPANISHADS. 

PANTHEISM  — CONFESSION  OF  FAITH  — DEATH 
OF  THEIR  SUPREME  GOD — DESCRIPTIONS  OF 


VI  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

BRAHMA  — THE  FEET  OF  BRAHMAN — VISHNU 
AS  THE  SUPREME  GOD  — THE  SVETASVATARA- 
UPANISHAD  — PANTHEISM  THE  CREED  OF 
VEDIC  LITERATURE,  ..... 

CHAPTER  IX. 

COSMOGONY. 

ABSURD  THEORIES — EXTRACT  FROM  CIIANDOGYA 
UPANISHAD — COSMOGONY  OF  MANU — A DAY 
OF  BRAHMA  — SLEEP  OF  BRAHMA  AND  ITS 
RESULTS— RE-CREATION — LENGTH  OF  BRAH- 
MAN LIFE — THE  SERPENT  SESIIA — THE  NAGAS 
OR  SERPENT  DEMONS — DEATH  OF  BRAHMA — 
REPEATED  CREATIONS — THE  WILL  OF  BRAH- 
MA-INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF  MATTER — EVO- 
LUTION AND  PANTHEISM  — COSMOGRAPHY  OF 
THE  MAHA-BHARATA  AND  THE  PURANAS  — 
THE  LENGTH  OF  A KALPA  — TEACHING  OF 
THE  RAMAYANA  — CREATION  BY  VISHNU  — 
COMPARISON  BETWEEN  THE  COSMOGONY’  OF 
THE  VEDAS  AND  OTHER  ANCIENT  WRITINGS 
— TESTIMONY  OF  BARON  VON  HUMBOLDT  — 
MOSAIC  COSMOGONY’, 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 

DESCENT  OF  MAN  FROM  A SINGLE  PAIR  — THE 
EARTHLY  AND  HEAVENLY’  PART  OF  MAN  — 
RECONSTRUCTION  OF  MEN  AT  THE  END  OF 
EACH  KALPA — CREATION  OF  ANIMALS  — 
DIFFERENT  CHARACTERS  AND  RACES  OF  MEN 
— RUDRA — DEVOLUTION  — EXTRACT,  . 


114-120 


121-130 


131-138 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS, 


Vll 


CHAPTER  XI. 

METEMPSYCHOSIS. 

TRANSMIGRATION  NOT  TAUGHT  IN  THE  RIG- 
YEDA  — THE  TRIPLE  SYSTEM  OF  TRANSMI- 
GRATION— THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  CHAN- 
DOGYA — DANGER  DURING  TRANSMIGRATION 
— DISTINCTION  BETWEEN  ASCENDING  AND 
DESCENDING  SOULS  — HINDU  EXPLANATION 
OF  INEQUALITIES  OF  FORTUNE— SINS  AGAINST 
CASTE  RECEIVE  THE  GREATEST  PUNISHMENT 
— NO  CRIME  BECOMES  A SIN  IF  THE  WORDS 
OF  THE  RIG-VEDA  BE  REMEMBERED,  . . 139-145 

CHAPTER  XII. 

REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS. 

IMMORTALITY  OF  THE  SOUL — HEAVEN  ONLY  A 
STEPPING-STONE  TO  HAPPINESS  — EXPE- 
RIENCE OF  THE  FAITHFUL  HINDU — THE 
HEAVEN  OF  INDRA  — THE  HEAVEN  OF  VISH- 
NU — FUTURE  PUNISHMENT  — TWENTY-ONE 
HELLS — VICTIMS  SEE  THE  INHABITANTS  OF 
HEAVEN  — TRANSMIGRATION  OF  SINNERS,  . 140-152 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  RAM A YANA. 

ONE  OF  THE  SACRED  EPICS  OF  INDIA  — THE 
LAND  OF  THE  HINDU — THE  RAMA YANA 
AND  THE  ILIAD — HELEN  AND  SITA — HECTOR 
CHAINED  TO  THE  CHARIOT  WHEEL  — FU- 
NERAL HONORS  PAID  TO  RAYANA  — AGE  OF 


Vlll 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS, 


THE  RAMAYANA — THE  SANCTITY  OF  THE 
POEM  — AUTHOR  OF  THE  WORK  — BASIS  OF 
THE  POEM  — LENGTH  OF  THE  RAMAYANA,  . 153-160 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

AYODHYA — DASARATIIA  AND  THE  ASVA-MEDHA 

— THE  CONCLAVE  OF  THE  GODS  — PLEA  MADE 
TO  BRAHMA  — REFERRED  TO  VISHNU  — HIS 
HOME  IN  THE  SEA  OF  MILK  — REQUEST 
GRANTED  — THE  BIRTH  OF  RAMA  — THE  BOW 
OF  SIVA  — MARRIAGE  OF  RAMA  — RAMA  AP- 
POINTED YUVA-RAJA — KAIKEYl — KAUSALYA 

— SlTA — THE  FAREWELLS — THE  DEATH  OF 

THE  RAJA — BIIARATA,  . ...  161-203 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA,  CONTINUED. 

LEAVING  THE  ATTENDANTS  — THE  GANGES  — 
CITRA-KUTA  — LIFE  IN  EXILE — BHARATA’S 
ARRIVAL  — THE  INTERVIEW — A WARNING 
AND  DEPARTURE  — ATRI  AND  ANASUYA  — 

THE  NEW  HOME — SURPA-NAKHA  — HAVANA 
— THE  ABDUCTION— THE  SEARCH  — SUGRlVA 
THE  MONKEY  KING  — EXPEDITION  OF  THE 
MONKEY  GENERAL  HANGMAN  — LANKA  — 

THE  PALACE  OF  HAVANA — THE  ASOKA  GROVE 
— INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  HANGMAN  AND 
SlTA  — HANUMAN  DESTROYS  THE  MANGO 
GROVE  — THE  BURNING  OF  LANKA  — HANU- 
MAN REJOINS  THE  MONKEY  ARMY,  . . 204-247 


TABLE  OF  CONTEXTS, 


IX 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA,  CONCLUDED. 

THE  MONKEY  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  LANKA  — 

THE  SOUTHERN  SEA  — THE  OCEAN  BRIDGE 
— INVASION  OF  LANKA  — RAVANA  AND 
RAMA  IN  SINGLE  COMBAT  — THE  DEATH  OF 
RAVANA  — RESTORATION  OF  SITA — SITA’s 
TRIAL  AND  VINDICATION  — TRIUMPHANT 
RETURN  TO  AYODHYA  — THE  BANISHMENT 
OF  SITA — THE  SONS  OF  SITA — THE  DEPART- 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 

THE  COMPANION  OF  THE  RAMAYANA — A COLOS- 
SAL POEM  — DERIVATION  OF  THE  NAME  — 
HISTORICAL  VALUE  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA 
— THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  GREAT  EPIC  — 
LITERARY  STYLE  — THE  AGE  OF  THE  MAHA- 
BHARATA — TRANSLATION  OF  THE  WORK,  . 272-282 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA — THE  GREAT  WAR. 

THE  KAURAVAS  AND  PANDAVAS — THE  TOUR- 
NAMENT— THE  S V A Y A?72 - V AR A — THE  HOME 
COMING  — DRAUPADl  MARRIES  FIVE  HUS- 
BANDS— THE  COUNCILS  OF  WAR  — PREPAR- 
ATIONS FOR  THE  GREAT  WAR  — THE  CHAL- 
LENGE GIVEN  AND  ACCEPTED — RULES  OF 
WARFARE, 283-303 


X 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA— THE  GREAT  WAR, 
CONCLUDED. 

THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA — THE  ATTACK  AND  RE- 
PULSE OF  THE  KAURAVAS  — THE  THIRD  DAY 
— FALL  OF  BHlSHMA  — A NIGHT  SCENE  — 

WAR  OF  EXTERMINATION  — RAJA  YUDHI- 
SHTIIIRA — DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  TRIBE  OF 
YADAVAS — DEATH  OF  KRISHNA  — ABDICA- 
TION AND  PILGRIMAGE  OF  THE  RAJA  — 
ASCENSION, 304-326 

CHAPTER  XX. 

LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA,  CONCLUDED. 

savitr!  and  satyavan. 

THE  king’s  DAUGHTER  — SAVITRl’s  CHOICE  — 

THE  MARRIAGE  — LOVE  CONQUERS  DEATH,  . 327-341 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA. 

EVIDENTLY  AN  INTERPOLATION — AGE  OF  THE 
GITA — ITS  ORIGIN  — “ THE  DIVINE  SONG  ” — 
SELF-ADULATION  OF  KRISHNA — DIVINE  FORM 
OF  KRISHNA, 342-352 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  PURANAS. 

EXTENT  OF  THE  PURANAS  — SIGNIFICATION  OF 
THE  NAME  — THEIR  TEACHING  — COMPARA- 
TIVELY MODERN  ORIGIN  — THE  HARI-VANSA 


TABLE  OF  CONTEXTS, 


xi 


— THE  BRAHMA  PUR AM A — THE  PADMA  OR 
GOLDEN  LOTUS — THE  VAISH NAVA  OR  VISH- 
NU— BIRTH  OF  KRISHNA — WIVES  AND 
CHILDREN  OF  KRISHNA  — DEATH  OF  KRISH- 
NA— THE  SAIVA — SRI  BHAGAVATA — THE 
MARKANDEl'A — THE  AGNI — THE  VAYU — 

THE  BHAVISHYA — THE  BRAHMA  YAIYARTA — 

THE  LINGA  — THE  VAR AHA — THE  SKANIIA 
— THE  YAMANA  — THE  KURMA — THE  MATSYA 
— THE  GARUDA  — THE  BRAHMANDA,  . . 353-375 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

KRISHNA. 

A MULTITUDE  OF  PERSONS  NAMED  KRISHNA  — 

LIFE  OF  KRISHNA,  SON  OF  VASU-DEVA  — 

DEATH  OF  KRISHNA  — RESEMBLANCES  TO 
CHRISTIAN  HISTORY'  VERY'  SLIGHT — WOR- 
SHIP OF  THE  “DARK  GOD  ” — SUMMARY,  . 376-393 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

CONCLUSION. 

HINDU  LITERATURE  — HINDUISM  — TEACHINGS 
— THE  RIG-YEDA — THE  UPANISHADS  — THE 
EPIC  POEMS  — THE  PURANAS  — YEDIC  WOR- 
SHIP BETTER  THAN  IDOLATRY,  . . . 394-400 


PREFACE. 


HE  ancient  books  of  India  comprise  such  an 


enormous  mass  of  literature  that  the  labor  of  a 
single  lifetime  would  not  suffice  for  the  mastery  of 
their  contents  and  a solution  of  the  problems  which 
they  present ; yet  such  has  been  the  progress  of  Ori- 
ental philology  during  the  last  decade,  that  an  intel- 
ligent survey  of  this  great  field  of  research  is  quite 
possible  to  the  student. 

A careful  study  of  the  Puranas  alone  in  the  origi- 
nal Sanskrit  would  occupy  half  a century,  but  a 
valuable  series  of  extracts  and  analyses  can  be  found 
in  twenty-six  large  folio  volumes  of  manuscripts  in  the 
library  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Calcutta,  and  a year  of 
patient  work  devoted  to  Professor  Wilson’s  translations 
gives  one  an  intelligible  idea  of  their  contents. 

Colonel  Colin  Mackenzie  occupied  his  leisure  time 
for  years  in  collecting  and  arranging' thirty-four  large 
folio  volumes  of  manuscripts,  and  his  careful  methods 
were  of  great  value  to  scholars  who  came  after  him. 

Historical  students  have  also  been  greatly  aided  by 
the  pioneer  work  of  those  who  have  examined  and 
compared  genealogical  lists,  deciphered  inscriptions,  and 
discovered  the  sites  of  ancient  cities.  The  Vedas 


xiii 


XIV 


PREFACE. 


themselves  have  been  carefully  copied  and  translated, 
and,  indeed,  all  of  the  most  important  portions  of 
Indian  lore  are  now  available  to  the  English  reader. 
Still,  the  books  themselves,  with  their  commentaries 
and  the  works  connected  with  their  history  and 
philology,  constitute  so  large  a library  that  the  busy 
people  of  modern  times  cannot  afford  to  spend  their 
years  in  sifting  the  contents  of  these  colossal  works 
in  order  to  find  the  gems  of  thought  which  they  may 
contain. 

In  a field  so  vast  it  is  only  by  a division  of  labor 
that  satisfactory  results  can  be  accomplished,  and  hence 
an  effort  has  been  made  in  the  present  volume,  to  give 
the  chronology  of  these  ancient  books,  showing  where 
they  belong  in  the  world’s  history,  together  with  a re- 
sume of  their  teachings  and  specimens  of  their  literary 
style.  The  work  has  been  done  as  briefly  as  was  con- 
sistent with  accuracy,  in  the  belief  that  an  intelligible 
idea  of  Hindu  literature  in  a condensed  form  would  be 
acceptable  to  many  readers. 

Beginning  with  the  earliest  composition  of  the  Ary- 
an race,  the  current  of  Brfihmanic  thought  has  been 
traced  down  through  their  most  important  works, 
which  have  been  considered  in  chronological  order  from 
the  earliest  songs  of  the  Rig-veda  to  the  fanciful  con- 
ceits of  the  latest  Puranas. 

The  primary  object  of  the  work  has  been  accuracy 
of  statement ; therefore  the  quotations  from  Hindu 
works  have  been  carefully  chosen  from  the  best  avail- 


PREFACE. 


XV 


able  translations,  and  no  historical  or  chronological 
statement  lias  been  made  without  the  concurrence  of 
the  highest  authorities. 

It  is  a pleasure  to  acknowledge  one's  indebtedness 
to  such  rare  scholars  as  Professor  F.  Max  Muller,  the 
late  Horace  1 layman  Wilson,  a distinguished  foreign 
member  of  the  French  Academy,  and  of  the  Imperial 
Academy  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  Sir  M.  Monier- Williams, 
K.  C.  I.  E.,  the  Boden  Professor  of  Sanskrit  at  Oxford 
University,  who  has  devoted  fifty  years  of  his  life  to 
the  study  of  Sanskrit  literature  and  to  a solution  of 
the  problems  of  India. 

Although  many  other  Orientalists  have  been  con- 
sulted, and  credit  duly  given  where  the  quotations  are 
made,  yet  the  author  is  especially  indebted  to  Professor 
F.  Max  Muller  and  Sir  M.  Monier- Williams,  for  assist- 
ance derived  from  their  personal  letters,  and  particu- 
larly desires  to  acknowledge  their  great  kindness  in 
examining  portions  of  the  work. 

The  manuscript  of  the  chapter  entitled  “Krishna” 
has  been  carefully  revised  by  Sir  M.  Monier-Williams, 
who  has  also  added  valuable  foot-notes,  while  other 
portions  of  the  copy  have  been  revised  by  Professor 
F.  Max  Muller. 

In  giving  a brief  synopsis  of  the  great  Indian 
Epics,  the  main  lines  of  thought  and  incident  in 
the  original  poems  as  given  by  Wheeler,  Griffiths,  and 
others,  have  been  carefully  followed.  It  has  been 
deemed  best,  howTever,  to  present  these  classic  gems  in 


XVI 


PREFACE. 


simpler  forms  of  narration  and  description  than  can 
be  found  in  literal  translation. 

The  work  has  been  prepared  in  the  hope  that  it 
may  attract  the  attention  of  the  general  reader  to  the 
beauties  of  Hindu  literature,  and  be  of  real  service  to 
careful  students  in  this  field  of  thought.  To  their 
interests  it  is  commended  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PRONUNCIATION. 


A LITTLE  attention  to  the  diacritical  points  will 
enable  the  reader  to  pronounce  correctly  the 
musical  names  of  the  Hindus. 

In  the  present  volume  Sir  M.  Monier- Williams’  method 
of  transliteration,  as  presented  in  his  Sanskrit  Grammar, 
has  been  chiefly  used ; the  nasal  m,  however,  is  repre- 
sented here  as  in  the  works  of  Prof.  Max  Muller  by  the 
italic  letter;  n,  as  pronounced  in  “singe,”  is  also  indi- 
cated by  the  italic. 

Diacritical  points  are  omitted  from  the  foot-notes,  the 
system  of  pronunciation  being  clearly  presented  in  the 
body  of  the  work. 


A — a is 

pronounced 

as  in 

rural. 

A — a 

66 

66 

tar,  father,  etc. 

I — i 

66 

66 

Ml. 

I — i 

66 

6 6 

police. 

IT— u 

66 

6 6 

fall. 

U— u 

66 

6 6 

rade. 

Ei— ri 

6 6 

6 6 

merrily. 

El — ri 

6 6 

6 6 

marine. 

E— e 

6 6 

6 6 

prey. 

Ai — ai 

66 

6 6 

aisle. 

Au — au 

66 

66 

Haas  (German). 

N — n sounded  like  n in  the  French  mo/i. 

IN’ — n “ as  in  none  (nun). 

m (italic)  has  a nasal  sound, 
h is  a Visarga,  or  a distinctly  audible  aspirate. 

xvij 


XV111 


PRONUNCIATION. 


Kh — Ich  sounded  like  ch  in  church. 
Kh — kh  pronounced  as  in  inMorn. 


G— g 

cc 

CC 

gun  or  doy. 

Gh — gh 

cc 

CC 

lo^-7iut. 

C— 6 

CC 

cc 

dolce  (in  music) = English  ch 
in  church. 

Ch— ch 

<( 

CC 

churcMill. 

T— t 

CC 

CC 

/rue. 

Th— th 

CC 

cc 

an/  /all. 

D — d 

£6 

cc 

drum. 

Dh— dh 

cc 

cc 

repaired  (red  /mired). 

Th — th 

cc 

cc 

nu//iook,  though  more  dental. 

Dh— dh 

cc 

cc 

ndliure,  though  more  dental. 

S— s 

cc 

cc 

sure,  sessions. 

S— s 

cc 

cc 

sir  or  miss. 

THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HINDU  LITERATURE. 

WHAT  IS  THE  VEDA — THE  AGE  OF  THE  VEDAS  — WHEN 
WRITTEN — THE  RIG-VEDA. 

A MOST  fascinating  field  for  research  is  to  be 
found  in  the  ancient  literary  productions  of  the 
Hindus.  These  gems  of  antiquity  belong  to  that  region 
where  the  peaks  of  the  Himalayas  lift  their  icy  brows 
to  the  morning  light,  and  where  in  the  groves  at  their 
feet  were  chanted  the  early  Vedic  hymns. 

India  is  the  land  of  the  cocoanut  and  the  palm,  of 
the  feathery  tamarind  and  the  stately  mango  tree.  The 
brightest  birds  from  the  southern  isles  come  to  feast  in 
her  spicy  groves  and  linger  among  her  flowers.  Her 
sacred  Ganges  is  indeed  “the  gift  of  heaven.”  Find- 
ing a birthplace  in  the  snow  fields  between  the  moun- 
tain peaks,  the  pure  current  rushes  down  the  rocky 
pathway  in  a long  cascade,  bringing  life  and  hope  to 
the  green  valleys  below. 

The  literature  born  in  this  dream-land  of  beauty  and 
fragrance  bears  within  its  bosom  the  eloquence  of  poe- 
try and  the  rhythm  of  song  ; but  India’s  ancient  books 
are  so  colossal  in  their  proportions  that  European 

1 


2 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


scholars  looked  upon  them  for  years  in  dismay.  Life 
is  too  short  to  enable  any  one  student  to  obtain  a 
complete  knowledge  of  Oriental  philology,  language,  and 
history. 

The  late.  Horace  Hayman  Wilson  devoted  his  vast 
learning  and  many  years  of  arduous  labor  to  the  trans- 
lation of  a portion  of  the  ancient  books  of  India,  while 
Prof.  Max  Muller  has  given  twenty  of  the  best  years  of 
his  life  to  the  Veda  alone. 

It  was  not  until  our  own  generation  that  Indian  lit- 
erature was  properly  classified  and  published,  even  in 
the  Sanskrit  tongue.  Hitherto  the  veil  of  antiquity 
and  mysticism  had  hidden  these  works  from  investi- 
gation. The  Vedas  were  chanted  for  ages  before  they 
were  ever  written,  being  handed  down  orally  from  one 
generation  to  the  next.  The  years  which  were  devoted 
to  education  by  the  better  class  of  Hindus  were  largely 
occupied  in  learning  the  Veda  from  the  lips  of  the 
teacher.1  The  fact  that  these  books  for  a long  time 
existed  only  in  the  living  volumes  of  memory  gave  them 
a weird  influence  over  the  European  as  well  as  the 
Hindu,  and  when  we  consider  that  the  Veda  occupies 
nearly  the  same  position  in  Sanskrit  that  the  Old  Tes- 
tament holds  in  Hebrew  literature,  that  it  is  as  sacred 
to  the  Hindu  as  our  own  Scriptures  are  to  the  Chris- 
tian, we  cannot  wonder  that  it  has  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  scholars  and  antiquarians  in  every  part  of  the 
world. 

After  a time  the  Veda  was  committed  to  writ- 
ing, but  still  it  existed  only  in  manuscript,  and  when 
the  directors  of  the  East  India  Company  invited  the 

i Origin  and  Growth  of  Religion,  page  148. 


IIIJfDU  LITERATURE. 


3 


Pandits,  or  Hindu  professors,  to  publish  a complete 
edition  of  their  own  sacred  books,  it  became  apparent 
that  there  was  not  a single  Brahman  in  Bengal  who 
could  edit  or  supervise  such  an  edition.  The  work 
therefore  devolved  entirely  upon  European  scholars,  and 
bravely  they  have  accomplished  their  formidable  task. 
Prof.  Max  Muller  patiently  copied  the  entire  text  of 
the  Rig-Veda  and  also  the  commentary  upon  it.  And 
thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  whole  of  the  work  was 
first  published,  not  on  the  banks  of  the  sacred  Ganges, 
but  under  the  shadow  of  an  English  university.  In 
restoring  these  old  manuscripts  and  placing  their 
thoughts  in  permanent  form,  our  scholars  have  pre- 
served relics  more  ancient  than  the  ruins  of  Hine- 
veh  and  Babylon ; more  fascinating  to  the  student  of 
literature  than  the  foundation  stones  of  Thebes  or 
Memphis. 

The  Sanskrit  edition  was  translated  by  the  inde- 
fatigable Wilson,  and  this  ancient  literary  monu- 
ment of  India  became  tbe  property  of  the  English- 
speaking  world.  The  work  of  restoring  and  translat- 
ing Hindu  works  was  greatly  facilitated  by  Colin 
Mackenzie,  the  enthusiastic  collector  of  Indian  MSS. ; 
but  to  such  men  as  Sir  William  Jones,  II.  T.  Cole- 
brook,  Horace  Wilson,  and  Max  Muller,  the  world 
owes  a debt  which  it  can  never  pay. 

Orientalists  were  at  first  unable  to  resist  the  temp- 
tation of  giving  to  the  public  the  gems  only,  which 
they  recovered  from  masses  of  almost  worthless  lit- 
erature, and  it  is  evident  that  much  harm  has  been 
done  by  this  partial  work  at  the  hands  of  enthusiastic 
translators  who  have  given  us,  unintentionally,  no 


4 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


doubt,  far  more  exalted  ideas  of  the  general  char- 
acter of  these  books  than  are  justified  by  impartial 
views  of  even  one  complete  section.  The  time  has 
come  when  the  Yedas  must  be  treated  with  more 
candor,  even  though  with  less  enthusiasm  ; when 
they  must  receive  honest  criticism  and  impartial  repre- 
sentation at  the  hands  of  scholars.  Later  translators, 
feeling  that  fancy  must  yield  to  fact,  and  imagination 
give  place  to  fair  investigation,  have  sought  to  make 
their  task  a faithful  one.  Paragraphs  which  are 
too  gross  for  translation  have  been  appended  in 
the  original  text,  so  that  the  critical  historian  may 
decipher  even  these  if  necessary.  A fair  estimate  of 
these  books  can,  of  course,  be  obtained  only  from 
complete  translations,  and  one  of  the  grandest  results 
of  the  life-work  of  Max  Muller  is  the  service  he  has 
rendered  in  the  translation  of  these  large  volumes 
of  The  Sacred  Books  of  the  East  into  the  English 
tongue.  He  has  been  assisted  in  this  arduous  and 
discouraging  work  by  such  distinguished  scholars 
as  Beal,  West,  Buhler,  Palmer,  Cowell,  Darme- 
steter,  Rhys  Davids,  Eggeling,  Jacobi,  Jolly,  Kern, 
Legge,  Oldenberg,  each  one  of  whom  is  found  in  the 
front  rank  of  his  own  special  department  of  Oriental 
literature. 

The  scholarship  and  character  of  these  men  place 
the  integrity  of  their  translations  beyond  question, 
and  they  have  opened  before  us  a most-  fascinating 
field  for  investigation.  When  we  add  to  this  valuable 
series,  the  Rig-veda  Sanhita,  the  Vishnu  Parana 
and  other  translations  by  Prof.  Wilson,  the  Rama- 
yana  by  Griffiths,  the  digest  of  the  two  great  epics 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


5 


by  J.  Talboys  Wheeler,  and  the  various  partial  trans- 
lations of  the  Maha-bharata  by  different  scholars, 
besides  a multitude  of  translations  from  Hindu  drama 
and  romance,  the  collection  of  Indian  works  now  avail- 
able to  the  English  reader  is  a very  extensive  one. 

According  to  Max  Muller,  the  Pandits  were  seriously 
opposed  to  the  publication  of  the  Veda  in  Sanskrit  by 
English  scholars,  for  although  they  are  honest  enough 
to  admit  that  the  edition  is  complete  and  authentic, 
its  publication  has  taken  from  them  their  principal 
weapon  against  Christian  missionaries.  In  former  times 
the  Brahmans  claimed  that  there  was  no  commandment 
in  the  Old  Testament,  no  precept  in  the  New,  which 
had  not  been  anticipated  in  the  Veda,  and  if  the  in- 
credulous missionary  called  for  the  manuscript  he  was 
coolly  informed  that  so  sacred  a book  must  not  be  pro- 
faned by  the  touch  of  an  unbeliever.  But  Hindu  as- 
sumptions are  now  discredited  by  the  publication  of  the 
Veda  in  both  Sanskrit  and  English.  It  was  also  claimed 
that  the  Veda  was  thousands  of  years  older  than  the 
Old  Testament,  and  that  the  historic  portions  of  the 
Hebrew  Scriptures  were  borrowed  largely  from  Hindu 
sources.  Many  honest  men,  and  even  scholars,  who 
should  have  been  more  careful  in  their  statements,  in- 
dorsed this  theory,  the  novice  with  loud  and  confident 
assertion— in  which  some  of  them  still  indulge — the 
scholar  with  more  reserve. 

Lieut.  Wilford,  who  was  an  honest  enthusiast,  de- 
termined, with  praiseworthy  zeal,  to  find  out  the  truth 
of  the  statements  which  were  being  freely  made  by  a 
certain  class  of  critics.  With  this  object  in  view,  he 
interviewed  Hindu  scholars,  but  without  obtaining  any 


6 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


information.  Becoming  more  explicit,  he  related  the 
stories  of  Adam  and  Eve,  of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  and 
assured  them  that  they  would  find  these  narratives  in 
their  sacred  books.  To  stimulate  their  zeal,  he  offered 
ample  rewards  if  they  would  find  in  their  ancient  man- 
uscripts the  stories  he  had  told  them.  The  reserve  of 
the  Pandits  was  fully  conquered  by  the  hope  of  gain, 
and  ere  long  Lieut.  Wilford  was  delighted  to  have 
placed  in  his  hands  Sanskrit  manuscripts  containing 
the  very  proofs  he  sought.  Great  was  the  enthusiasm 
in  Calcutta,  London,  Paris,  and  throughout  the  uni- 
versities of  Germany  when  these  manuscripts  were  pro- 
nounced genuine  by  such  experts  as  Sir  William  Jones 
and  others.  At  last,  however,  the  coincidences  became 
so  numerous,  and  the  supply  corresponded  so  exactly 
to  the  financial  reward,  that  the  manuscripts  were 
again  carefully  examined,  when  it  was  found  that 
clever  forgeries  had  been  committed ; that  leaves  had 
been  carefully  inserted  in  ancient  manuscripts,  and  on 
them  had  been  written  in  Sanskrit  the  Bible  stories 
which  the  Hindus  had  learned  from  the  lips  of  the 
enthusiastic  Wilford. 

Lieut.  Wilford,  to  his  honor  be  it  said,  did  not  for 
a moment  hesitate  to  acknowledge  that  he  had  been 
imposed  upon.1  But  in  the  meantime,  his  essays  had 
been  widely  read,  and  they  are  still  quoted  by  men  who 
have  never  heard  of  his  public  confession. 

The  literature  of  the  Vedas  is  not  logical  in  its 
construction.  There  is  no  page  of  lucid  reasoning  or 
convincing  argument  in  all  its  ancient  lore.  It  is  not 
scientific ; its  theories  of  cosmogony  and  anthropology 


l Chips,  Vol.  V.,  pp.  102-109. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


t 


are  wild  and  fanciful  in  the  extreme,  and  though  of 
great  historic  value  in  many  ways,  it  is  in  no  sense 
whatever  the  production  of  historians.  The  dreamy 
sons  of  the  Southland  had  very  little  taste  for  historic 
facts,  and  much  of  the  literary  value  of  their  writings 
is  found  in  their  poetry.  It  is  true  that  many  of 
their  hymns  and  songs  are  childish  or  vulgar — in  the 
language  of  Max  Muller,  they  are  “tedious,  low  and 
commonplace.”  But  amidst  masses  of  literary  rubbish 
we  find  poetic  gems  which  are  worthy  of  any  age  or 
clime. 

Some  of  the  songs  of  the  Veda  are  entitled  to  high 
rank,  and  in  many  points  the  great  epics  of  India  will 
compare  favorably  with  the  immortal  productions  of 
Homer.  The  imagination  of  the  Hindu  is  as  luxuriant 
as  his  own  tropical  forests.  His  mighty  rivers  come 
pouring  down  from  the  gi’andest  mountain  ranges  of 
the  world,  where  amid  the  lightnings  that  flash  around 
their  peaks,  Sublimity  holds  her  court.  Poetry  lives  in 
the  very  atmosphere  of  the  Himalayas — it  haunts  the 
rich  verdure  at  their  feet,  and  kisses  their  snowy  brows 
in  the  crimson  light  of  the  setting  sun.  The  romance 
of  India’s  people  is  as  irresistible  as  the  current  of  her 
Indus  or  the  musical  waves  of  her  Ganges. 

The  exploration  of  this  labyrinth  of  thought  is  like 
wandering  through  a tropical  forest,  where  the  grandeur 
of  towering  trees  alternates  with  sunny  glades  of  vine- 
wreathed  beauty  and  fragrant  flowers ; but  the  student 
must  not  gather  the  roses  of  romance  and  avoid  the 
sterner  work  of  careful  analysis  ; it  is  the  province  of 
fair  investigation  to  examine  every  tree  and  floral  vine 
in  this  wilderness  of  literature,  and  to  keep  carefully 


8 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


along  the  path  of  honest  criticism  even  in  the  Indian 
land  of  enchantment. 

WHAT  IS  THE  VEDA  ? 

The  word  Veda  means  knowledge  and  is  the  term 
applied  to  divine  unwritten  knowledge.  In  the  Hindu 
world  it  is  not  only  the  earliest  literary  production, 
but  the  acknowledged  standard  of  authority  referred  to 
in  all  their  important  works,  both  sacred  and  profane. 
The  Veda  is  quoted  or  alluded  to  in  philosophical, 
grammatical,  lexicographical  and  metrical,  as  well  as 
theological  treatises.  Indeed,  this  important  work  may 
be  said  to  form  the  background  of  the  whole  literary 
world  of  India,  and  upon  all  subjects  it  is  considered 
the  best  and  highest  authority,  from  which  there  is  no 
appeal. 

The  name  Veda  is  applied  by  the  Brahmans  to  the 
whole  body  of  their  sacred  writings.  The  earliest  col- 
lection of  Vedic  literature  may  be  classed  in  three 
grand  divisions  : 

1.  Mantra,  or  the  Hymns  of  Prayer  and  Praise, 
as  found  in  the  Rig-veda.  By  this  is  meant  the  col- 
lection of  hymns  and  invocations,  which  were  doubt- 
less composed  by  a succession  of  poets  in  very  early 
times,  and  which,  while  they  are  of  unequal  poetical 
merit  and  contain  many  foolish  repetitions,  are  still 
important  as  embodying  the  earliest  forms  of  relig- 
ious conception  known  in  the  history  of  this  strange 
people. 

2.  The  Braiimana,  or  the  ritualistic  precepts  and 
illustrations  which  are  intended  to  direct  the  priests 
in  the  performance  of  their  religious  ceremonies.  They 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


9 


also  give  long  and  tedious  explanations  of  the  origin 
and  meaning  of  the  sacrifices  themselves. 

3.  The  Upaxisiiads,  which  are  supposed  to  teach 
the  doctrines  of  the  Vedas,  although  it  would  be  a 
difficult  task  to  deduce  any  system  either  of  faith  or 
practice  from  this  labyrinth  of  confused  philosophy  and 
fanciful  conceits. 

The  later  important  divisions  of  Hindu  literature 
are : 

1.  The  Ramayana  and  the  Maha-bharata.  These  co- 
lossal epic  poems1  of  themselves  form  a grand  division 
of  literature  and  reflect  the  romance  and  poetry  of 
the  Hindu  people.  They  present  the  most  brilliant 
pictures  of  Oriental  coloring,  and  the  most  gorgeous 
scenes  of  Eastern  magnificence  to  be  found  upon  the 
pages  of  fancy. 

2.  The  Puranas,  which  are  confessedly  the  latest  of 
all  productions  in  Hindu  sacred  literature;  they  claim 
to  have  been  written  by  a generous  sage  in  order  to 
simplify  the  doctrines  of  the  Veda  for  the  benefit  of 
women  and  others  who  might  not  aspire  to  the  reading 
or  comprehension  of  the  earlier  works.  Although  they 
do  not,  critically  speaking,  belong  to  the  Vedic  age, 
they  contain  Vedic  legends  which  have  been  worked  up 
in  more  modern  form,  showing  that  these  works  were 
finally  given  to  the  world  at  a time  when  “the  world 
of  the  Veda,”  in  its  strictest  sense,  was  living  only 
in  tradition. 

The  Vedas  proper  are  only  four  in  number,  viz. : the 
Rig-veda,  which  is  the  book  of  praise,  and  of  whose 

iProf.  Williams  speaks  of  the  great  epics  as  being  “the  bible  of  the 
mythological  phase  of  Brahmanism.” 


10 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


hymns  there  is  but  one  genuine  collection.  The  Sama- 
veda  is  merely  an  extract  from  the  older  work ; the 
Yajur-veda  is  another  manual  of  extracts  intended  for 
the  use  of  the  priests ; and  the  fourth,  or  Atharva- 
veda,1  is  of  much  later  origin,  and  of  inferior  literary 
value.  Therefore  the  Rig-veda  is  the  primary  work  of 
its  class,  and  the  only  one  of  importance. 

Each  of  the  Vedas  is  an  unarranged  and  promis- 
cuous mass  of  hymns,  prayers,  exhortations,  and  dog- 
mas, without  either  system  or  harmony. 

According  to  the  teaching  of  the  Hindu  priests, 
the  Vedas  were  coeval  with  the  creation,  being  simul- 
taneous with  the  first  breath  of  Brahma — the  creative 
power — or,  at  all  events,  Brahma  was  their  author 
and  they  were  among  the  first  things  created. 

In  the  Chandogya  Upanishad,  17th  A'Aanda  and  4th 
PraptUAaka,  it  is  said  of  the  productions  of  the  Ve- 
das, “ Prayapati  {the  Creator ) brooded  over  the  worlds, 
and  from  them,  thus  brooded  on,  he  squeezed  out  the 
essences,  Agni  (fire)  from  the  earth,  Vayu  (air)  from 
the  sky,  Aditya  (the  sun)  from  heaven. 

“ lie  brooded  over  these  three  deities,  and  from  them, 
thus  brooded  over,  he  squeezed  out  the  essences — the 

i The  Atharva  veda,  which  has  been  ably  edited  by  Professors  Roth  and 
Whitney,  is  confessedly  the  most  modern  of  the  four,  and  was  not  recog- 
nized as  a fourth  Veda  until  a much  later  period,  according  to  some  au- 
thorities, not  until  after  Manu. 

Says  Prof.  Whitney,  “The  most  prominent  characteristic  feature  of  the 
Atharvan  is  the  multitude  of  incantations  which  it  contains;  . . they  are 
directed  to  the  procuring  of  the  greatest  variety  of  desirable  ends;  most 
frequently,  perhaps,  long  life  or  recovery  from  grievous  sickness  is  the  ob- 
ject sought;  in  that  case  a talisman,  such  as  a necklace,  is  sometimes  given, 
or  in  numerous  instances,  some  plant  endowed  with  marvelous  virtues  is 
to  be  the  immediate  external  means  of  cure;  further,  the  attainment  of 
wealth  or  power  is  aimed  at,  the  downfall  of  enemies,  success  in  love  or 
in  play,  the  removal  of  petty  pests,  and  so  on,  even  down  to  the  growth  of 
hair  on  a bald  pate.’' — Oriental  and  Lin.  Studies,  Vol.  1,  page  20. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


11 


Rik  verses  from  Agni;  the  Yayus  verses  from  Vayu; 
the  Saman  verses  from  Aditya. 

“He  brooded  over  the  three-fold  knowledge  (the  three 
Vedas),  and  from  it,  thus  brooded  over,  he  squeezed 
out  the  essences,  the  sacred  interjection  Bhus  from  the 
Rik  verses,  the  sacred  interjection  Bhuvas  from  the 
Yayus  verses,  and  the  sacred  interjection  Svar  from 
the  Saman  verses.  ” 

Each  Yedic  hymn  is  said  to  have  its  Rishi — the  sage 
or  philosopher  by  whom  it  was  first  communicated — 
some  of  whom  were  members  of  the  military,  and  others 
of  the  Brahmanical  order.  Each  Veda  consists  of  two 
parts,  called  the  Mantra  and  the  Brahmana,  or  pray- 
ers and  precepts.  The  complete  collection  of  hymns, 
prayers,  and  invocations  belonging  to  one  Veda  is  called 
its  Sanhita. 

AGE  OF  THE  VEDAS. 

The  Sanskrit  language  is  antique  in  form  and  per- 
fect in  structure  ; it  has  the  refinement  of  the  Greek 
and  the  fluency  of  the  Latin,  while  it  bears  a strong 
affinity  to  both.  This  classical  language  of  the  Hindus 
held  the  same  position  in  India  which  was  accorded  to 
the  Greek  at  Alexandria,  and  its  importance  was  equal 
to  that  of  the  Latin  during  the  Middle  Ages.  But 
the  Sanskrit  tongue  does  not  disclose  the  origin  of  the 
races  that  first  spoke  it,1  and  the  power  of  historic 
narration  is  entirely  wanting  in  its  earliest  writers. 

Klaproth,  Kennedy,  and  others,  claim  that  at  a re- 
mote period  the  tribes  which  were  descended  from  Ja- 
pheth,  the  third  son  of  Koah,  came  from  the  northwest 

i It  had  ceased  to  be  a spoken  language  at  least  300  B.  C.—Sci.  of  Lang., 
p.  lil. 


12 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  settled  in  the  plains  of  Hindustan,  bringing  with 
them  their  own  language,  which  was  the  stock  of  the 
Sanskrit.  This  position  is  apparently  endorsed  by 
Adelung,1  but  the  data  concerning  the  first  peopling  of 
India  is  not  entirely  satisfactory.  The  Sanskrit  fur- 
nishes no  key  with  which  to  unlock  the  vaults  of 
its  own  historic  treasures.  From  the  first  hymn  of 
the  Vedas  to  the  last  fable  of  the  Puranas — a period 
extending  over  three  thousand  years — there  is  no  page 
of  clear  historic  fact ; no  biographical  account  that 
is  not  so  mixed  with  legend  as  to  make  it  unintel- 
ligible.2 

The  Vedas  are  confessedly  the  oldest  of  the  Hindu 
scriptures.  But  their  age  has  been  greatly  overesti- 
mated. It  has  been  customary  for  a certain  class  of 
writers  to  ascribe  to  them  an  antiquity  greater  by  thous- 
ands of  years  than  they  can  justly  claim.  So  long 
as  the  question  of  their  age  was  purely  guess-work 
and  the  wish  was  father  to  the  thought,  a few  thous- 
ands, or  even  a million  of  years  could  be  added  with- 
out scruple,  and  as  Sir  William  Jones  remarked,  “The 
comprehensive  mind  of  an  Indian  chronologist  has  no 
limits.”  History,  however,  is  taking  the  place  of  specu- 
lation in  this,  as  well  as  other  departments.  Says  Max 
Muller,  “It  will  be  difficult  to  settle  whether  the  Veda 
is  the  oldest  of  books,  and  whether  some  portions  of  the 
Old  Testament  may  not  be  traced  back  to  the  same, 
or  even  an  earlier  date  than  the  oldest  hymns  of  the 

1 Hist.  Sans.  Lit.,  p.  1. 

2 The  one  reliable  date  which  we  have  for  Indian  history  before  Christ 
is  the  mention  by  Greek  historians  of  an  Indian  prince  (Sandrokottos). 
He  was  a contemporary  of  the  early  successors  of  Alexander.  ...  He 
was  the  founder  of  a new  dynasty  upon  the  Ganges,  and  his  grandson 
A*oka  was  the  Constantine  of  Buddhism.—  Whitney. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


13 


Yecla/’1  We  have  no  Yedic  manuscripts  which  extend 
back  further  than  1200  or  1500  years  after  Christ,  but 
their  contents  have  been  handed  down  orally  from  the 
time  of  their  earliest  composition  until  they  were 
committed  to  writing,  at  a comparatively  modern  date. 

In  the  face  of  these  facts  it  is  no  wonder  that  the 
eminent  Orientalist  remarks  that  “ It  is  not  very  easy 
to  bridge  over  this  gulf  of  three  thousand  years.” 
And  again,  “It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  a further 
study  of  Sanskrit  will  not  deprive  many  a book  of 
its  claims  to  any  high  antiquity.  Certain  portions  of 
the  Yeda  even,  which,  as  far  as  our  knowledge  goes 
at  present,  we  are  perfectly  justified  in  referring  to 
the  tenth  or  twelfth  century  before  our  era,  may 
dwindle  down  from  their  high  estate,  and  those  who 
have  believed  in  their  extreme  antiquity  will  then  be 
held  up  to  blame  or  ridicule.”2 

There  is  very  little  historic  data  on  which  to  form 
an  opinion  concerning  the  time  when  the  Veda  began 
to  be  written.  Max  Muller  says,  “We  shall  not  be 
able  to  trace  the  Indian  alphabet  much  beyond  Alexan- 
der’s invasion.  It  existed,  however,  before  Alexander.” 
And  again,  “The  Sanskrit  alphabet  has  always  been 
suspected  of  being  derived  from  a Semitic  source  and 
has  not  certainly  been  traced  back  to  a Greek  source.”3 
He  argues  that  while  the  alphabet  itself  existed  earlier, 
the  practice  of  writing  came  in  “ toward  the  latter 
part  of  the  Sutra  period,”  and  was  probably  at  that 
time  applied  to  the  preservation  of  the  Yedic  hymns 
and  other  forms  of  Brahmanic  literature.  The  MalnT- 


1 Chips,  Vol.  1,  p.  5. 

2 Int.  Sci.  of  Rel.,  p.  301. 


3 Hist.  Sans,  Lit.,  pp.  516  and  521. 


14 


TIIE  AXCIEXT  BOOKS  OF  IXDIA. 


bharata  says,  however,  that  “ Those  who  sell  the  Vedas, 
and  even  those  who  write  them,  shall  go  to  hell,”  show- 
ing that  although  writing  was  in  nse  at  the  time  of 
the  compilation  of  the  Malia-bharata,  it  was  by  no 
means  popular  as  the  medium  of  communication  for  the 
Vedas.  The  fact  that  there  are  no  Brahmanic  inscrip- 
tions earlier  than  the  third  century  before  Christ  shows 
the  comparatively  late  date  of  the  art  of  writing  in 
India,  and  Max  Muller  maintains  that  until  the  latter 
part  of  the  Sutra  period  “the  collection  of  hymns  and 
the  immense  mass  of  Brahmanic  literature  were  pre- 
served by  means  of  oral  tradition  only.”1 

The  Sutra  period  here  alluded  to  was  about  500  B. 
C.;  it  was  an  era  of  remarkable  activity  in  the  intel- 
lectual world.  In  India  it  marked  the  formulation  of 
Brahmanism  by.  her  priesthood  as  shown  in  her  system 
of  jurisprudence  collated  by  Manu,  and  witnessed  the 
reformation  of  Buddha,  who  led  the  reaction  against 
her  recognized  code.  It  is  looked  upon,  too,  as  the  ap- 
proximate  date  for  the  beginnings  of  her  great  epics. 
Greece  had  then  her  Pythagoras,  and  according  to 
Mitford,  “no  Grecian  state  had  its  laws  put  into  writ- 
ing until  about  the  same  period”2  (the  reign  of  Cyrus, 
king  of  Persia.)  Persia  at  this  important  epoch  had 
not  only  her  Cyrus,  but  also  her  Zoroaster.  The  He- 
brews had  their  Daniel,  and  China’s  intellectual  horizon 
was  illumined  by  her  Confucius. 

Vedic  literature  is  classified  by  Prof.  Max  Muller  in 
four  strata  : 

1st.  Sutra  Period,  500  B.  C. 

2d.  Brahmana  Period,  600-800  B.  C. 


i Hist.  Sans.  Lit.,  p.  524. 


2 Hist,  of  Greece,  Vol.  I.,  p.  129. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


15 


3d.  Mantra  Period,  800-1000  B.  0.  ( To  this  pe- 

riod he  ascribes  the  collection  and  systematic  arrange- 
ment of  the  Vedic  hymns  and  formulas.) 

4th.  AAandas  Period,  1000  B.  C.  (“Representing 
the  free  growth  of  sacred  poetry/’)  There  are  but  few 
hymns,  however,  belonging  to  the  earliest  or  AVumdas 
period. 

Close  investigation  has  greatly  reduced  the  supposed 
antiquity  of  the  Vedas,  and  is  very  likely  to  reduce  it 
still  further.  But  in  the  light  of  their  present  knowl- 
edge, Prof.  Max  Muller  and  Sir  Monier  Williams  agree 
in  assigning  the  original  composition  of  the  early  hymns 
to  the  time  between  1000  and  1500  B.  C.1  Kennedy 
places  the  period  “ at  which  they  began  to  be  com- 
posed” at  1100  to  1200  B.  C.  Stevenson,  Wilson, 
Wheeler,  and  Barthelemy  St.  Hilaire  express  similar 
opinions.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  ablest  Orien- 
talists assign  to  these  books  an  origin  which  is  far  this 
side  of  Abraham ; indeed,  the  extreme  limit  sanctioned 
by  modern  scholars  scarcely  reaches  back  to  the  birth 
of  Moses. 

The  Vedas  furnish  no  chronology  save  their  fabulous 
millions  of  years.  In  the  whole  of  their  literature 
there  is  not  a single  reliable  date  by  which  any  event 
or  series  of  events  may  be  assigned  to  its  proper  place 
in  the  world’s  chronology. 

Still,  the  fact  remains  that  these  early  hymns  and 
songs  are  hoary  with  the  frost  of  centuries.  Reaching 
back  in  the  world’s  history  almost  to  the  birth  of 
Moses,  they  were  chanted  in  the  sacred  groves  of  India 
long  before  the  Persian  conqueror  crossed  the  Indus. 

* Chips,  Vol.  I.,  p.  13;  also  Brah.  and  Hin.,  p.  7. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Since  their  musical  numbers  were  first  breathed  upon 
the  air,  cities  have  risen  and  fallen,  and  the  earth  has 
been  swept  by  successive  storms  of  conquest.  The 
palaces  of  Nineveh  and  the  temples  of  Babylon  have 
slept  for  ages  in  the  long  night  of  time,  but  the  simple 
hymns  of  the  Veda  still  live  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
They  belong  to  the  realm  of  song,  and  thought  must 
live  though  monarchs  die  and  thrones  decay. 

THE  RIG-VEDA. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  important,  as  well  as  the 
most  primitive  of  the  collection,  the  others  comprising 
little  more  than  extracts  from  it,  together  with  a variety 
of  incantations,  charms,  and  formulas  for  different  cere- 
monies. The  Rig-veda  means  the  hymns  of  praise,  or 
hymns  to  celebrate  praises.  Some  of  them  are  written 
in  metre,  and  others  in  prose.  They  are  dedicated  to 
a variety  of  gods,  and  some  of  them  are  beautiful  com- 
positions. The  gods  are  constantly  invoked  to  protect 
their  worshipers,  to  grant  them  food,  large  flocks,  large 
families,  and  a long  life,  for  all  of  which  they  are  to 
be  rewarded  with  praises  and  sacrifices,  offered  day  after 
day,  or  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

Sanskrit  literature  without  this  book  would  be  like 
Greek  without  the  works  of  Homer.  The  Rig-veda 
belongs  to  universal  history  as  well  as  to  the  history  of 
India,  and  fills  a place  in  the  Aryan  world  of  letters 
that  can  be  supplied  by  no  other  book.  This  venera- 
ble work,  which  is  the  fountain  head  of  Yedic  litera- 
ture, is  composed  of  about  one  thousand  and  twenty- 
eight  hymns,  each  hymn  containing  an  average  of  ten 
verses  each.  In  the  language  of  Muller,  “Large  num- 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


17 


bers  of  the  Vedic  hymns  are  childish  in  the  extreme.” 
Translations  of  these  compositions,  even  when  en- 
riched by  all  the  graces  of  modern  scholarship,  are 
often  marked  with  tedious  repetitions  and  offensive 
epithets.  They  sometimes  pass  abruptly  from  sound 
wisdom  to  childish  foolishness,  and  from  high  culture 
to  the  lowest  grade  of  morality,  while  sudden  transi- 
tions from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous  are  not  at  all 
infrequent.1  The  Eig-veda  does  not  teach  idolatry, 
although  there  is  no  doubt  that  multitudes  of  the 
Brahman  devotees  are  now  veritable  idol  worshipers. 
The  worship  of  images  is  declared  to  be  an  act  of 
inferior  merit,  and  it  is  claimed  that  in  reality  even 
the  idolators  worship  only  one  God,  who  is  manifested 
in  various  forms,  and  that  their  images  of  stone  and 
clay  are  used  merely  to  represent  him.  This  is  done 
upon  the  principle  that  the  ignorant  classes  cannot 
raise  their  conceptions  to  abstract  deity,  but  need  some 
tangible  object  to  which  their  devotions  may  be  ad- 
dressed. It  is  said  that  “The  vulgar  look  for  their 
gods  in  the  water ; men  of  more  extended  knowledge, 
in  the  celestial  bodies  : the  ignorant,  in  wood,  brick, 
and  stone.”  Another  theory  is  that  in  the  beginning 
there  was  only  one  God — but  that  he  made  many  others, 
and  hence  all  the  phenomena  of  nature  were  personi- 
fied and  worshiped.  The  greater  number  of  the  prayers 
and  invocations  are  mjdhologieal  and  unmeaning,  some 
of  them  claiming  that  the  gods  are  all  equal,  as  in  the 
stanza,  “ Among  you,  0 gods,  there  are  none  that  are 

i Sir  Monier  Williams  says,  “Although  the  majority  of  the  Hindus  believe 
that  the  four  Vedas  contain  all  that  is  good,  great  and  divine,  yet  these  com- 
positions 'null  be  found,  when  taken  as  a whole,  to  abound  more  in  puerile 
ideas  than  in  lofty  conceptions.’’—  Brah.  and  Bin.,  p. 18. 


18 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


small,  none  that  are  young — you  are  all  great  indeed.” 
Still,  the  hymns  addressed  to  individual  deities  are 
very  liable  to  claim  supremacy  for  the  god  addressed, 
while  others  claim  that  there  is  but  one,  as  in  the 
following : 

“ In  the  beginning  there  arose  a golden  child ; 

He  was  the  one  born  Lord  of  all  that  is ; 

He  established  the  earth  and  this  sky. 

Who  is  the  God  to  whom  we  offer  sacrifices. 

“ He  who  gives  life,  he  who  gives  strength. 

Whose  command  all  the  bright  gods  revere ; 

Whose  shadow  is  immortality,  whose  shadow  is  death. 
Who  is  the  God  to  whom  we  shall  offer  our 
sacrifice. 

“ He  whose  greatness  these  snowy  mountains, 

Whose  greatness  the  sea  proclaims  with  the  distant 
river, 

He  whose  these  regions  are,  as  it  were  his  two  arms. 
Who  is  the  God  to  whom  we  shall  offer  our  sacrifice. 

“ He  to  whom  heaven  and  earth,  standing  firm  by 
his  will. 

Look  up  tremblingly,  inwardly. 

He  over  whom  the  rising  sun  stands  forth, 

Who  is  the  God  to  whom  we  shall  offer  sacrifices. 

“ He  who  by  his  might  looked  even  over  the  water 
clouds — 

The  clouds  which  gave  strength  and  lit  the  sacrifice, 
He  who  alone  is  God,  above  all  gods. 

Who  is  the  God  to  whom  we  shall  offer  sacrifice.”1 


i R.-v.,  10-12,  Muller’s  trans. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


19 


But  what  we  sometimes  regard  as  monotheism  is  in 
reality  pantheism,  or  the  belief  that  the  creation  and 
Creator  are  identical  with  each  other.  Brahman  in  the 
neuter  form  means  simply  infinite  being — the  only 
eternal  essence,  which,  when  it  passes  into  actual 
manifested  existence,  is  called  Brahma,  and  develops 
itself  in  various  forms.  The  creed  of  many  of  the 
Hindus  at  the  present  day  asserts  that  there  is  only 
one  real  being  in  existence,  and  that  he  constitutes  the 
universe.  While  some  of  the  hymns  seem  to  teach 
monotheism,  there  are  allusions  in  the  Rig-veda  to 
thirty-three  gods.1 

One  hymn  assigns  all  the  phenomena  of  nature  to 
one  first  cause,  while  another  attributes  them  to  several 
causes  operating  independently,  and  still  another  argues 
that  the  whole  visible  creation  is  animated  by  one  uni- 
versal, all-pervading  spirit. 

As  the  Semitic  races  relapsed  occasionally  into  poly- 
theism, so  the  Hindus  have  sometimes  returned  to  mono- 
theism, but  says  Prof.  Muller,  “ In  both  cases  these 
changes  were  not  the  result  of  a gradual  and  regular 
progress,  but  of  individual  impulses  and  peculiar  in- 
fluences. The  mere  occurrence  of  monotheistic  ideas  is 
not  sufficient  to  stamp  any  class  of  hymns  as  of  modern 
date.”2  The  religion  of  the  Rig-veda  was  either  poly- 
theism, monotheism,  tritheism,  or  pantheism,  according 
to  the  individual  preference  of  the  worshiper,  but  it 
was  not  yet  idolatry.  The  forces  of  nature  were  spoken 
of  as  being  under  the  control  of  divine  personages,  but 

l Max  Muller  says,  'No  doubt  if  we  must  employ  technical  terms,  the 
religion  of  the  Veda  is  polytheism,  not  monotheism.”— Chips,  Vol.  i, 
p.  27. 

^ Hist.  Sans.  Lit.,  p.  559. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


they  were  not  as  yet  represented  by  images  and  wor- 
shiped. 

A beautiful  hymn  in  the  Veda  is  addressed  to  the  sky 
god,  Vanina,  as  follows  : 

“ The  mighty  Varuna  who  rules  above,  looks  down 
Upon  the  worlds,  his  kingdom,  as  if  close  at  hand. 
When  men  imagine  they  do  aught  by  stealth,  he  knows  it. 
No  one  can  stand,  or  walk,  or  softly  glide  along, 

Or  hide  in  dark  recesses,  or  lurk  in  secret  cell, 

But  Varuna  detects  him,  and  his  movements  spies ; 
Two  persons  may  devise  some  plot,  together  sitting, 
And  think  themselves  alone ; but  he,  the  king,  is  there, 
A third,  and  sees  it  all.  . . . His  messengers  descend 
Countless  from  his  abode,  forever  traversing 
This  world,  and  scanning  with  a thousand  eyes  its  in- 
mates, 

Whate’er  within  this  earth  and  all  within  the  sky ; 

Yea,  all  that  is  beyond.  King  Varuna  perceives. 

The  winkings  of  men’s  eyes  are  numbered  all  by  him  ; 
He  wields  the  universe  as  gamesters  handle  dice.”1 

Another  gem  is  found  in  the  hymn  of  adoration  to 
the  sun  god  (Siirya): 

“ Behold,  the  rays  of  dawn  like  heralds  lead  on  high 
The  Bun,  that  men  may  see  the  great,  all-knowing  God. 
The  stars  slink  off  like  thieves  in  company  with  Night, 
Before  the  all-seeing  eyes  whose  beams  reveal  his 
presence, 

Gleaming  like  brilliant  flames,  to  nation  after  nation. 


1 Atharva-veda,  IV.,  16,  Williams’  trans. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


21 


Surya,  with  flaming  locks,  clear-sighted  god  of  day. 
Thy  seven  ruddy  mares  bear  on  thy  rushing  car. 

With  these  thy  self-yoked  steeds,  seven  daughters  of 
thy  chariot, 

Onward  thou  dost  advance.  To  thy  refulgent  orb 
Beyond  this  lower  gloom,  and  upward  to  the  light. 
Would  we  ascend,  0 Sun,  thou  god  among  the  gods.”1 

These  are  representatives  of  the  finest  poetry  of  early 
Yedic  literature.  There  are  others  like  the  following 
“ Purusha  hymn  of  the  Rig-veda,”  which  is  remarkable 
for  its  peculiar  theological  combination,  and  seems  to 
teach  monotheism  and  polytheism,  as  well  as  pantheism 
and  the  institution  of  caste,  which  has  been  the  bane 
of  India  for  more  than  two  thousand  years : 

“ The  embodied  spirit  has  a thousand  heads, 

A thousand  eyes,  a thousand  feet,  around 
On  every  side  enveloping  the  earth. 

Yet  filling  space  no  larger  than  a span. 

He  is  himself  this  very  universe  ; 

He  is  whatever  is,  has  been,  and  shall  be  ; 

He  is  the  Lord  of  immortality. 

All  creatures  are  one-fourth  of  him,  three-fourths 
Are  that  which  is  immortal  in  the  sky. 

Prom  him  called  Purusha  was  born  Viraj, 

And  from  Viraj  was  Purusha  produced. 

Whom  gods  and  holy  men  made  their  oblation. 
With  Purusha  as  victim,  they  performed 
A sacrifice.  When  they  divided  him. 

How  did  they  cut  him  up  ? What  was  his  mouth  P 


i Williams’  trans. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


What  were  his  arms  ? and  what  his  thighs  and  feet  ? 

The  Brahman  was  his  mouth,  the  kingly  soldier 

Was  made  his  arms,  the  husbandman  his  thighs. 

The  servile  Sudra  issued  from  his  feet.”1 

Viraj  was  a secondary  creator,  considered  sometimes 
of  the  feminine  and  sometimes  of  the  masculine  gender. 
Mann  says  that  Purusha,  the  first  male,  was  called 
Brahma  and  was  produced  from  the  supreme  self-ex- 
istent spirit. 

It  is  easy  to  see  how  the  system  of  caste  was  fos- 
tered by  a hymn  which  declares  that  the  priestly  class 
issued  from  Purusha’s  mouth,  the  soldier  from  his 
arms,  the  husbandman  from  his  thighs,  and  the  slave 
from  his  feet. 

The  hymns  of  the  Veda  too  often  descend  to  bac- 
chanalian songs  in  honor  of  the  god  Soma,2  the  Bac- 
chus of  India,  and  the  whole  of  the  ninth  book  of  the 
Rig-veda  is  devoted  to  his  praise.  The  soma  is  a plant 
said  to  have  been  brought  “ by  a fair  winged  falcon 
from  afar”  and  planted  in  India.  It  is  a creeper  with 
succulent  leafless  stems,  bearing  the  botanical  name  of 
Asclepias  Acida.  The  juice,  after  being  expressed  by 
stones  and  mixed  with  milk  or  barley  juice,  became  a 
strong  intoxicant  with  whose  exhilarating  properties  the 
Aryans  were  so  infatuated  that  they  supposed  it  was 
endowed  with  its  wonderful  powers  by  a god.  The 
soma  became  to  them  the  king  of  plants,  and  its  juice 
was  largely  used  in  offerings  to  their  gods,  some  of 
whom  were  supposed  to  have  a peculiar  weakness  for 

i R.-v.  (Man.  10-90),  Williams’  trails. 

nin  later  times  the  name  of  Soma  was  also  applied  to  the  moon. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


23 


the  intoxicating  draught.  Therefore  not  only  the  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  hymns  of  the  ninth  book  of  the 
Rig-veda  are  devoted  to  the  praise  of  the  Hindu  Bac- 
chus, but  there  are  many  others  in  different  parts  of 
the  work,  as  well  as  frequent  references  to  his  favorite 
beverage  in  those  songs  which  are  not  entirely  devoted 
to  its  glory.  The  following  is  a sample  of  the  hymns 
to  Soma : 

“ Oh,  soma  drunk  by  us,  be  bliss  to  our  hearts  as 
a father  is  indulgent  to  a son.  May  these  glory-con- 
ferring, protecting  soma  streams  knit  together  my 
joints  as  cows  draw  together  a chariot  falling  in  pieces  ; 
may  they  keep  us  from  a loosely  knit  worship  ; 1 may 
they  deliver  me  from  sickness.”2 

The  various  gods  to  whom  the  soma  juice  is  offered 
in  sacrifice  are  represented  as  partaking  of  it  even  to 
drunkenness.  For  instance,  “ When  bright  Maruts 
(the  storm  gods)  you  harness  to  your  car  over  the 
mountain,  then  you  exhilarate  yourselves  with  the  soma 
juice.”3  And  again,  “ Drinker  of  the  pure  soma, 
Yayu,  come  to  us.  I offer  thee  the  exhilarating  food 
of  which  thou  hast  the  prior  drinking.”4  Also  the 
following,  to  be  chanted  when  offering  soma  to  Mitra 
and  Varuna,  both  names  being  often  applied  to  the 
sun,  although  Varuna  is  generally  spoken  of  as  the  god 
of  the  firmament,  or  sky  god  : 

i When  the  soma  is  drunk  the  worship  becomes  consolidated. 

2R.-y.  San.  Vol.  V.  p.  93,  Wilson’s  trans.  In  a recent  letter  to  the  author 
Prof.  Max  Muller  says  of  Wilson’s  translation,  “ It  professes  to  give  the 
traditional  rendering  of  the  hymns  according  to  Sayarea’s  commentary,  and 
as  such  it  will  always  retain  a place  of  honor.” 

3 Vol  VI.,  p.  349.  4 ibid,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  185. 


24 


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“ May  this  soma  libation  be  gratifying  to  Mitra  and 
Varuna,  to  be  enjoyed  by  them  as  they  drink  of  it  in- 
clining downwards.  A divine  beverage,  fit  to  be  en- 
joyed by  the  gods,  may  all  the  gods  well  pleased  to-day 
accept  it.”1 

The  intoxicating  liquid  was  presented  in  ladles  to 
the  deities  invoked,  and  in  all  cases,  says  Wilson,  “the 
residue  of  the  liquor  was  taken  by  the  assistants.”  The 
condition  of  the  worshipers  after  the  rites  were  ac- 
complished may  be  better  imagined  than  described. 

One  of  the  favorite  gods  of  the  Rig-veda  was  Indra, 
who  was  the  Jupiter  of  the  Aryan  race.  lie  is  re- 
peatedly referred  to  as  the  “ rain  god,”  “ the  air-born 
Indra,”  “the  thunderer.”  In  the  earliest  age  he  is 
represented  as  inhabiting  the  sky  between  the  earth  and 
the  sun,  riding  upon  the  clouds  and  pouring  forth  the 
rain,  hurling  the  forked  lightning  upon  the  earth,  and 
speaking  to  men  in  the  awful  tones  of  thunder.  But 
Indra’s  special  weakness  is  for  soma  juice,  which  he 
quaffs  in  fabulous  quantities,  and  thus  invigorated  be- 
comes invincible,  and  hastens  away  to  vanquish  the  hos- 
tile powers  of  the  atmosphere  which  are  withholding 
the  rain  from  the  parched  earth. 

“ Indra,  animated  by  the  soma  juice,  thou  didst  en- 
gage in  battle.  . . Exhilarated  by  the  soma,  thou  hast 
expelled  the  waters  from  the  clouds.  . . In  thee,  Indra, 
is  all  vigor  fully  concentrated.  Thy  will  delights  to 
drink  the  soma  juice.”3 

1 Vol.  II.,  p.  58. 

2 Indra  will  be  treated  more  fully  in  the  following  chapter. 

3 R.-v.,  San.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  137. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


25 


Again  lie  is  addressed  as  follows : 

“Lord  of  steeds!  Thou  art  exhilarated  when  the 
sacred  soma  juice  has  been  imbibed  by  thee.  . . It  is 
exhilarating,  inebriating,  invigorating,  and  the  yielder 
of  delight,  satisfying  as  food,  and  the  giver  of  a thou- 
sand pleasures.  May  the  soma  libation  reach  you,  for 
it  is  exhilarating,  invigorating,  inebriating,  most  pre- 
cious. It  is  companionable,  Indra,  enjoyable,  the  over- 
thrower of  hosts — immortal.  Thine  inebriety  is  most 

intense,  nevertheless  thine  acts  are  most  beneficent. 
Thou  desirest,  bountiful  giver  of  horses,  that  both  thy 
inebriety  and  thy  beneficence  should  be  the  means  of 
destroying  enemies  and  distributing  riches.”1 

Indra  is  also  repeatedly  invoked  as  “Voracious 
drinker  of  the  soma,”  “ Indra  with  the  handsome 
chin  . . . drinker  of  the  soma,  showerer  of  blessings,” 
etc.  He  is  also  repeatedly  hymned  as  “Handsome- 
jawed  Indra,”  and  it  is  said  “ The  exhilarating  soma 
juices  flew  toward  the  shining  Indra  as  milch  kine 
hasten  to  their  calves,”2  and  again,  “ The  stomach  of 
Indra  is  as  capacious  a receptacle  of  soma  as  a lake, 
for  he  has  partaken  of  it  at  many  sacrifices,  and  inas- 
much as  he  has  eaten  the  first  viands  he  has  been  the 
slayer  of  Vritra  and  has  shared  the  soma  juice  with 
the  gods.”3  The  condition  of  the  inferior  deities  who 
shared  Indra’s  generosity  is  perhaps  best  illustrated  in 
the  following  verse  : 

“Swift  is  the  excessive  and  girth-distending  inebria- 
tion of  Yajata  and  Mayin.  By  drinking  these  juices 

1 Vol.  II.,  p.  170.  2 R.-V.  San.,  Vol.  V.,  p.  307.  3 yol.  III.,  p.  60. 


26 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


they  urge  one  another  to  drink.  They  find  the  copi- 
ous draught  the  prompt  giver  of  intoxication.”1 2 

The  hymn  from  which  the  above  is  an  extract  also 
represents  the  wife  of  a great  sage  as  joining  in  the 
convivialities  of  the  occasion,  while  at  another  festive 
scene  the  gods  and  sages  are  represented  as  “ screaming 
like  swans  ” when  exhilarated  by  the  flowing  bowl. 

The  doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  or  transmigration 
of  souls,  which  afterward  became  a cardinal  doctrine  of 
Hindu  faith,  finds  no  place  in  the  Rig-veda,  which  is 
also  free  from  the  crime  of  child  marriage,  the  barbar- 
ous customs  of  caste,  and  the  idolatry  of  modern  times. 
The  people  were  then  rich  in  flocks  and  herds ; they 
practiced  the  art  of  agriculture,  and  to  a certain 
extent  that  of  architecture.  Polygamy  existed,  but  was 
not  the  rule  of  life.  They  killed  animals  and  ate  ani- 
mal food,  not  even  objecting  to  the  flesh  of  cows. 
Their  vices  were  sensuality  and  gambling,  as  well  as 
drunkenness. 

Hymns  of  a still  more  indelicate  nature  than  the 
foregoing  might  be  cited,  but  it  is  pleasanter  to  close 
these  extracts  from  the  Rig-veda  with  the  following- 
beautiful  “Hymn  to  Uslias”  (the  Dawn). 

1.  “She  shines  upon  us  like  a young  wife,  rousing 
every  living  being  to  go  to  his  work.  When  the  fire 
had  to  be  kindled  by  men,  she  made  the  light  by  strik- 
ing down  darkness. 

2.  “ She  rose  up  spreading  far  and  wide,  and  moving 
everywhere.  She  grew  in  brightness  wearing  her  bril- 


l  Ibid,  Vol.  III.,  p.  311. 


HINDU  LITERATURE. 


27 


liant  garment.  The  mother  of  the  cows  (the  mornings), 
the  leader  of  the  days,  she  shone  gold-colored,  lovely 
to  behold. 

3.  “ She,  the  fortunate  who  brings  the  eye  of  the 

gods,  who  leads  the  white  and  lovely  steeds  (of  the 

sun),  the  Dawn,  was  seen  revealed  by  her  rays,  with 

brilliant  treasures  following  every  one. 

4.  “Thou  art  a blessing  where  thou  art  near.  Drive 
far  away  the  unfriendly  ; make  the  pasture  wide ; give 
us  safety ! Scatter  the  enemy,  bring  riches ! Raise  up 
wealth  to  the  worshiper,  thou  mighty  Dawn.”1 

This  vision  of  the  dawn  personified  as  a pure  and 
lovely  woman  is  fair  enough  to  atone  for  many  a sin 
against  rhythm  and  measure.  Wearing  her  garments  of 
silver  and  tinted  pearl,  she  comes  leading  the  white 
steeds  of  the  sun.  With  her  fair  brow  flushed  with 
the  gold  and  crimson  light  of  the  morning,  she  appears 
as  the  “leader  of  the  days,”  and  marshals  her  host  in 
golden  splendor  before  the  sons  of  men.  Wearing  the 
hallowed  crown  of  maternity,  she  becomes  in  Sanskrit 
poetry  “ the  mother  of  the  mornings,”  and  the  infant 
days  begin  the  journey  of  life  amidst  the  tinted 
clouds  of  rose  and  amber  that  float  around  the  morning 
sun. 

The  Rig-veda  is  a book  of  startling  contrasts. 
Amidst  coarse  bacchanalian  songs  we  find  such  poetic 
gems  as  “ The  Golden  Child,”  the  eloquent  pleas  to 
Varuna  and  Agni,  and  this  Yedic  vision  of  the  morn- 
ing, with  many  others  of  equal  beauty. 


l R,-v.,  7,  77,  Muller's  trans. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 

RESEMBLANCE  BETWEEN  THE  MYTHOLOGIES  OF  INDIA 
AND  GREECE  — AGNI  — SURYA  — VARUNA  — YAMA 
— USHAS — MARUTS — HYMNS  OF  EXECRATION  — IN- 
CONSISTENT THEORIES  — INDRA  — SIMILARITY  OF 
NORTHERN  MYTHS. 

t I HIE  mythology  of  India  is  as  fascinating  as  that 
of  Greece.  The  storm-swept  peaks  of  her  Hima- 
layas are  grander  than  the  heights  of  Olympus,  and 
the  golden  eagle  that  floats  on  burnished  wing  beneath 
her  solemn  sky  is  dearer  to  the  hearts  of  her  peo- 
ple than  was  the  imperial  bird  of  Jove  to  the  dwell- 
ers by  the  AEgean  sea. 

India  is  the  home  of  the  beryl  and  the  amethyst ; 
her  sunlight  flashes  in  her  diamonds,  and  her  moon- 
light gleams  amidst  her  pearls.  Hence,  her  dreamy 
sons  have  invested  the  heavens  of  their  gods  with  the 
splendor  of  her  gems  and  the  fragrance  of  her  roses. 
Their  loveliest  flowers  are  said  to  bloom  only  in  Para- 
dise, and  Vishnu  sits  upon  a throne  of  lotus  blossoms, 
while  the  pillars  of  1 ndra’s  heaven  are  enwreathed  with 
rose-colored  flowers. 1 

The  many  striking  similarities  between  the  gods  of 
the  Hindu  and  Grecian  mythology  suggest  the  common 


i The  Camalata  or  Love’s  Creeper. 
28 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


29 


origin  of  these  early  myths.  It  is  a well-attested  his- 
toric fact  that  in  the  early  days  of  the  Aryan  races 
they  dwelt  together  in  a common  country.  The  va- 
rious tribes  which  left  this  central  home  to  settle  in 
different  parts  of  the  world  carried  with  them  a lan- 
guage which  was  the  stock  of  their  later  tongues,1  and 
also  a common  mythology.  In  India,  Greece,  Persia, 
and  even  in  Northern  Europe,  the  similarities  between 
the  various  myths  are  so  striking  that  they  continu- 
ally remind  the  reader  of  the  common  origin  of  the 
Aryan  nations.  The  character  of  Indra,  especially,  so 
strongly  resembles  that  of  Jove  that  the  similarity 
cannot  be  considered  accidental. 

In  the  earliest  Yedic  hymns  there  appears  to  be  no 
regular  system  either  of  religion  or  mythology.  The 
worship  which  they  prescribe  is  generally  of  a domes- 
tic nature,  consisting  of  oblations  to  fire,  prayers  to 
the  god  of  fire,  of  the  firmament,  of  the  winds,  of  the 
seasons,  or  to  the  sun  and  the  moon.  The  Brahman 
who  offers  the  sacrifice,  or  the  priest  who  offers  it  for 
those  who  are  not  Brahmans,  invites  these  deities  to 
be  present  and  accept  the  offering,  which  often  con- 
sists of  melted  butter  or  the  juice  of  the  soma.  In 
return  for  these  gifts  the  gods  are  supplicated  to  con- 
fer life,  wealth,  and  prosperity  upon  the  worshiper. 
The  myths  exhibit  no  settled  genealogy,  the  same  name 
being  sometimes  used  as  an  adjective,  and  sometimes 
as  a noun.  The  same  goddess  is  addressed  in  one  hymn 
as  the  mother,  in  another  as  the  wife.  The  brother  is 

i Says  Max  Miiller,  “ English,  together  with  all  the  Teutonic  dialects  of  the 
Continent,  belongs  to  that  large  family  of  speech  which  comprises  besides 
the  Teutonic,  the  Latin,  Greek,  Slavonic,  Celtic,  and  the  Oriental  languages 
of  India  and  Persia.”  (See  Chips,  Vol.  II.,  p.  221.) 


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spoken  of  now  as  husband  and  again  as  son,  while 
each  god  in  his  turn  is  supplicated  and  praised  as 
superior  to  all  the  others. 

The  most  prominent  and  sacred  deities  of  the  early 
Hindus  are  Agni,  Surya,  Indra,  Varuna,  Yama,  Ushas, 
and  Maruts. 

AGNI, 

the  god  of  fire,  is  addressed  as  the  supreme  god  who 
created  all  things;  he  is  represented  by  the  light  of 
the  sun,  the  flashing  lightning,  and  the  clear  flame  of 
the  domestic  hearthstone.  He  is  the  guardian  of  the 
home,  the  minister  of  the  sacrifice,  and  comprehends 
within  himself  a multitude  of  other  deities,  as  the  cir- 
cumference of  a wheel  embraces  its  spokes.  He  is  one 
of  the  eight  guardians  of  the  world,  his  special  prov- 
ince being  the  southeast  quarter. 

As  the  protector  of  mankind  and  the  guardian  of 
the  home,  his  presence  is  invoked  at  the  nuptial  cere- 
mony, and  indeed  upon  all  solemn  domestic  occasions. 

From  his  body1  issue  seven  streams  of  glory,  and  in 
his  right  hand  he  holds  a spear,  while  a tongue  of 
forked  fire  issues  from  his  mouth.  As  a symbol  of 
social  union  and  the  guardian  of  the  domestic  hearth- 
stone, his  mission  is  almost  identical  with  that  of  the 
Grecian  goddess  Hestia,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Sat- 
urn and  Rhea.  In  the  Prytaneum  of  every  Grecian 
city  stood  the  hearth  on  which  the  sacred  fire  flamed, 
and  where  the  offerings  were  made  to  Hestia.  In  like 

• He  is  usually  described  as  having  two  faces,  three  legs  and  seven 
arms,  and  riding  upon  a sheep.  But  he  is  sometimes  represented  as  a 
corpulent  man  of  ruddy  complexion,  with  eyes,  eyebrows,  and  hair  of  a 
tawny  color,  and  appears  riding  on  a goat. — See  Garrett's  Clas.  Die.  Ind., 
page  15. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


31 


manner  the  sacred  fire  was  kept  alive  in  every  Hindu 
home,  and  oblations  of  butter  and  rice  were  offered  to 
the  god  of  the  flames.  It  will  also  be  remembered  that 
die  early  Romans  worshiped  at  the  shrine  of  Vesta, 
who  like  the  Greek  Hestia  presided  over  the  public  and 
private  hearths.  A sacred  fire,  watched  over  by  six  vir- 
gin priestesses  called  Vestals,  burned  in  her  temple  at 
Rome,  and  upon  the  continual  preservation  of  this  fire 
the  safety  of  the  city  depended.  If  it  went  out  it  must 
be  lighted  only  from  the  sun,  the  great  fountain  of 
light.  Among  the  Hindus,  Agni  is  invoked  as  father, 
mother,  brother,  and  son.  He  presides  at  the  marriage 
sendee,  receives  the  offerings  upon  the  domestic  altar, 
and  at  the  death  of  his  worshipers,  takes  their  bodies 
to  his  bosom,  and  bears  the  “unborn  part”  away  to 
the  unseen  world. 

HYMH  TO  AGNI, 

1.  “Agni,  accept  this  log  which  I am  about  to  offer 
thee,  accept  this  my  service,  listen  well  to  these  my 
songs. 

2.  “With  this  log,  0 Agni,  may  we  worship  thee, 
thou  son  of  strength,  conqueror  of  horses ; and  with 
this  hymn,  thou  high  born. 

3.  “May  we  thy  servants  serve  thee  with  songs,  0 
granter  of  riches,  thou  who  lovest  songs  and  delight- 
est  in  riches. 

4.  “Thou  Lord  of  wealth  and  giver  of  wealth,  be 
thou  wise  and  powerful,  drive  away  from  us  the  ene- 
mies. 

5.  “He  gives  us  rain  from  heaven.  He  gives  us  in- 
vincible strength,  he  gives  food  a thousand-fold. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


6.  “ Youngest  of  the  gods,  their  messenger,  their 
invoker  most  deserving  of  worship,  come  at  our  praise 
to  him  who  worships  thee  and  longs  for  thy  help. 

7.  “ For  thou,  0 sage,  goest  wisely  between  these 
two  creations  (heaven  and  earth,  gods  and  men)  like 
a friendly  messenger  between  two  hamlets. 

8.  “ Thou  art  wise,  and  thou  hast  been  pleased ; 
perform,  thou  intelligent  Agni,  the  sacrifice  without 
interruption.”1 

SURYA,  THE  SUN. 

One  of  the  first  objects  to  attract  the  Yedic  wor- 
shiper was  the  god  of  day.  He  was  adored  under 
various  names,  being  addressed  sometimes  as  Arvat,  or 
even  Varuna,  and  again  as  Aditya  or  Mitra.  Coming 
out  of  the  chambers  of  the  east,  with  their  draperies  of 
scarlet  and  purple,  this  monarch  of  the  day  received 
the  early  oblation  of  his  worshipers.  As  his  golden 
chariot  swept  across  the  heavens  they  fancied  they  saw 
the  milk-white  steeds  that  drew  the  car  of  the  king. 
At  evening  as  he  rolled  away  in  a sea  of  splendor, 
leaving  his  crimson  mantle  upon  the  mountain  peaks, 
the  devotee  knelt  again  to  receive  his  parting  blessing. 
After  a time,  when  the  pearly  tints  of  morning  again 
announced  his  coming,  he  w’as  hailed  with  joyous  songs: 

TO  SURYA. 

1.  “The  wonderful  host  of  rays  has  risen;  the  eye 
of  Mitra,  Varuna,  and  Agni  the  sun,  the  soul  of  all 
that  moves  or  is  immovable,  has  filled  ( with  his  glory) 
the  heaven,  the  earth,  and  the  firmament. 


i R.-v.,  2-0,  Muller’s  trans. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


33 


2.  “ The  sun  follows  the  divine  and  brilliant  Ushas 
as  a man  follows  a young  and  elegant  woman,  at  which 
season  pious  men  perform  the  ceremonies  established 
for  ages,  worshiping  the  auspicious  sun  for  the  sake  of 
good  reward. 

3.  “ The  auspicious,  swift  horses  of  the  sun,  well- 
limbed,  road-traversing,  who  merit  to  be  pleased  with 
praise,  reverenced  by  us,  have  ascended  to  the  summits 
of  the  sky,  and  quickly  circumambulate  earth  and 
heaven. 

4.  “ Such  is  the  divinity,  such  is  the  majesty  of  the 
sun  that,  when  he  has  set,  he  has  withdrawn  (into 
himself)  the  diffused  (light  which  had  been  shed) 
upon  the  unfinished  task.  When  he  has  unyoked  his 
coursers  from  the  car,  then  night  extends  the  veiling 
darkness  over  all. 

5.  “ The  sun  in  the  sight  of  Mitra  and  Varuna  dis- 
plays his  form  (of  brightness)  in  the  middle  of  the 
heavens,  and  his  rays  extend,  on  one  hand,  his  infinite 
and  brilliant  power,  or  on  the  other  (by  their  depart- 
ure), bring  on  the  blackness  of  night. 

6.  “ This  day,  gods,  with  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
deliver  us  from  heinous  sin ! and  may  Mitra,  Varuna, 
Aditya,  ocean,  earth,  and  heaven,  be  favorable  to  this  our 
prayer.”1 

VARUNA,  THE  GOD  OF  THE  FIRMAMENT  AND  OF  THE 
OCEAN. 

Varuna  is  derived  from  the  root  Var  (to  cover). 
In  the  Veda  it  is  used  as  a name  for  the  firmament, 
but  only  in  connection  with  the  night,  being  opposed 

iR.-v.,  Vol.  I.,  page  304,  Wilson's  trans. 


34  THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 

to  Mitra  (the  day).  It  will  be  remembered  that 
Hesiod  uses  the  name  of  Uranos  for  the  sky,  and  it  is 
repeatedly  said  that  Uranos,  or  Ouranos,  covers  every- 
thing, and  that  when  he  brings  the  night  he  is 
stretched  out  everywhere  embracing  the  earth.  But 
the  Indian  Varuna  is  the  god  of  the  sky,  as  well  as 
the  sky  itself.  It  is  said  that  “Varuna  stemmed  as- 
under the  wide  firmaments ; he  lifted  on  high  the 
bright  and  glorious  heaven ; he  stretched  out  apart  the 
starry  sky  and  the  earth. ”l  Like  the  other  gods, 

Varuna  is  hymned  as  the  Supreme  Being : 

“ Thou  art  lord  of  all,  of  heaven  and  earth  ; thou 
art  the  king  of  all,  of  those  who  are  gods  and  of  those 
who  are  men.” 

He  dwells  in  all  worlds  as  their  sovereign ; he  made 
the  sun  to  shine  in  the  firmament,  and  the  moaning 
winds  are  but  his  breath.  He  formed  the  channels  of 
the  rivers  which  flow  by  his  command  into  the  sea 
which  they  can  never  fill.  He  knows  the  pathway  of 
the  birds  through  the  blue  ether,  and  the  trackless 
course  of  the  ships  upon  the  wide  ocean.  He  witnesses 
the  truth  or  falsehood  of  men,  and  nothing  escapes  his 
countless  eyes. 

The  two  oceans  ( aerial  and  terrestrial ) are  Varuna’s 
stomachs,  and  the  stars  of  night  are  his  all-seeing  eyes. 

Varuna  is  not  only  the  Uranos,  or  Ouranos,  of  the 
Greeks,  but  he  is  their  Neptune  as  well,  being  the 
“god  of  the  raging  main”  and  “monarch  of  the 
deep.”  It  was  Varuna  who  supplied  the  sage  Bicika 


iR.-v.,  7,  861,  Muller’s  trans. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


35 


with  a thousand  fleet  horses,  an  allusion  which  is  sug- 
gestive of  the  production  of  the  horse  by  Neptune  in 
his  fabled  contest  with  Minerva  for  the  right  of  nam- 
ing the  city  of  Athens.  Indeed,  the  horse  in  Greek 
mythology  was  sacred  to  Neptune  and  the  rivers,  and 
Homer  represents  the  “monarch  of  the  watery  main” 
as  whirling  over  the  crystal  chambers  of  the  deep  in 
his  chariot  drawn  by  “ brass-hoofed  steeds,”  while 

“The  parting  waves  before  his  coursers  fly. 

The  wondering  waters  leave  his  axle  dry.” 

Even  so  Vanina  rides  upon  the  waters  or  hides  in 
caves  beneath  a rocky  strand ; but  he  also  fills  the 
halls  of  night  with  his  presence  and  draws  near  to  his 
worshiper  in  the  cooling  touch  of  evening,  and  when 
the  veil  of  darkness  covers  them  he  comes  to  the  hearts 
of  men  with  the  blessed  peace  and  calm  of  evening 
rest. 

YAMA 

Is  the  king  of  death  and  the  judge  of  the  dead.  He 
is  the  Pluto  of  Hindu  mythology,  and  like  him  he  is 
the  lord  of  the  world  from  whose  dominion  there  is 
no  return.  The  regions  of  Pluto  were  guarded  by  the 
three-headed  dog  Cerberus,1  who  watched  at  the  en- 
trance, but  Yama  has  two  terrible  dogs  of  the  “four- 


i There  is  a diversity  of  expression  among  classic  authors  in  relation  to 
the  famous  dog  of  hades.  The  first  mention  of  him  is  by  Hesiod,  who 
describes  the  furious  creature  as  having  fifty  heads.  Sophocles,  however, 
speaks  of  him  as  the  three-headed  dog  of  Pluto,  and  the  Latin  poets 
generally  agree  with  this  author.  Horace,  however,  calls  the  dog  hundred- 
headed. Champollion  traces  a strong  analogy  between  the  Egyptian  and 
Grecian  mythology  in  relation  to  the  dog  of  hades. — ( See  Anthon's  Clas. 
Diet,) 


36 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


eyed  tawny  breed  of  Sarama.”  This  “ King  of  Death  ” 
is  the  first  of  men  who  died,  and  he  guides  the  spirits 
of  other  men  to  their  destination  in  heaven  or  hell.  In 
the  later  mythology  he  is  represented  as  the  judge  of 
the  dead, /but  not  in  the  Vedas.  • The  region  over  which 
Pluto  presides  is  represented  in  the  Iliad  and  in 
Hesiod’s  Theogony  as  being  within  the  earth,  while  in 
the  Odyssey  it  is  placed  in  the  dark  region  beyond  the 
stream  of  ocean.1  But  Yama  himself  dwells  in  celestial 
light,  and  in  one  place  he  is  represented  as  taking 
part  with  other  gods  in  a festive  scene  beneath  a tree. 

The  following  fine  poetic  tribute  is  paid  to  the 
King  of  Death  in  the  Rig-veda : 

HYMN  TO  YAMA. 

“To  Yama,  mighty  king,  be  gifts  and  homage  paid. 
He  was  the  first  of  men  that  died  ; the  first  to  brave 
Death’s  rapid  rushing  stream,  the  first  to  point  the 
road 

To  heaven,  and  welcome  others  to  that  bright  abode. 
No  power  can  rob  us  of  the  home  thus  won  by  thee ; 
Oh  king,  we  come ! the  born  must  die,  must  tread  the 
path 

That  thou  hast  trod — the  path  by  which  each  race  of 
men 

In  long  succession,  and  our  fathers  too,  have  passed. 
Soul  of  the  dead  ! depart ; fear  not  to  take  the  road — 
The  ancient  road — by  which  thy  ancestors  have  gone; 
Ascend  to  meet  the  god — to  meet  thy  happy  fathers, 
Who  dwell  in  bliss  with  him.  Fear  not  to  pass  the 
guards — 


1 Od.  10,  508. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


37 


The  four-eyed  brindled  dogs — that  watch  for  the  de- 
parted. 

Return  unto  thy  home,  0 soul ! Thy  sin  and  shame 
Leave  thou  behind  on  earth;  assume  a shining  form — 
Thy  ancient  shape — refined  and  from  all  taint  set 
free.”1 

USHAS. 

Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  and  poetic  of  all  the 
Vedic  deities  is  Ushas,  the  dawn.  This  radiant  god- 
dess is  the  Aurora,  or  Eos,  of  the  Greeks. 

“ Now  fair  Aurora  lifts  her  golden  ray. 

And  all  the  ruddy  Orient  flames  with  day.” 

Even  so  does  the  Hindu  goddess  light  up  the  east- 
ern sky  with  the  tints  of  opal  and  morning  gray  She 
lives  in  their  poetry  as  a beautiful  woman  pursued  by 
her  devoted  lover,  the  sun,  who  at  length  overwhelms 
her  with  his  ardent  kisses.  She  is  borne  onward 
through  the  sky  in  a gleaming  chariot  drawn  by  ruddy 
horses,  dispelling  darkness,  waking  the  birds,  and  illum- 
ining the  world.  Sometimes  she  is  hymned  as  a beau- 
tiful maiden,  sometimes  adored  as  a wife  and  mother 
(see  page  27) ; sometimes  she  is  pictured  as  deso- 
late and  deserted  by  the  sun,  who  disappears  in  the 
western  skies,  leaving  only  the  clouds  of  crimson  and 
gold  to  comfort  his  dying  bride.  But  she  is  always 
young,  for  she  is  born  every  morning  with  the  crown 
of  immortal  youth.  Like  Aurora,  she  wears  a golden 
robe  and  comes  out  of  her  cloud-curtained  palace  to 
ascend  her  triumphal  car  The  gates  of  the  morning 

i Williams’  trails.  2 odyssey,  Bk.  8,  1. 


38 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


are  opened  by  her  rosy  fingers,  and  her  fair  brow  is 
crowned  with  the  morning  star.  She  is  addressed  as  the 
“daughter  of  the  sky,”  the  “ kinswoman  of  Varuna.” 

In  one  passage  the  moon  is  said  to  be  born  again, 
and  ever  new  to  go  before  Ushas  as  the  herald  of  the 
day.  In  the  Rig-veda  the  early  morn  is  saluted  thus : 

“ Ilail,  Ushas,  daughter  of  the  sky, 

Who,  borne  upon  thy  shining  car 
By  ruddy  steeds  from  realms  afar 
And  ever  lightening,  drawest  nigh — 

Thou  sweetly  smilest,  goddess  fair, 

Disclosing  all  thy  youthful  grace, 

Thy  bosom  fair,  thy  radiant  face. 

And  luster  of  thy  golden  hair. 

“ So  shines  the  fond  and  winning  bride 
Who  robes  her  form  in  brilliant  guise. 

And  to  her  lord’s  admiring  eyes 
Displays  her  charms  with  conscious  pride. 

Or  virgin  by  her  mother  decked. 

Who,  glorying  in  her  beauty,  shows 
In  every  glance  her  power ; she  knows 
All  eyes  to  fix,  all  hearts  subject. 

“ But  closely  by  the  amorous  sun 

Pursued  and  vanquished  in  the  race. 

Thou  soon  art  locked  in  his  embrace. 

And  with  him  blendest  into  one. 

Fair  Ushas!  though  through  years  untold 
Thou  hast  lived  on,  yet  thou  art  born 
Anew  on  each  succeeding  morn, 

And  so  thou  art  both  young  and  old.”1 


i Dr.  Muir’s  trails. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


39 


MARUTS  OR  RUDRAS. 

Maruts  or  Rudras  is  the  god,  or,  rather,  the  gods, 
of  wind  and  storm,  to  whom  the  people  prayed  for 
protection  for  themselves,  and  for  the  destruction  of 
their  enemies.  They  were  addressed  as  “ shakers  of 
the  earth,”  and  besought  to  tear  in  pieces  whatever 
fiends  might  be  aroused  to  attack  the  people.  They 
dash  through  the  heavens  in  chariots  drawn  by  dap- 
pled deer ; they  are  termed  “ worshipful  and  wise,” 
and  implored  to  come  with  their  whole  help  “ as 
quickly  as  lightnings  come  after  rain.”  Rudra  was 
afterwards  the  god  of  destruction — Siva,  the  world 
dissolver. 

The  following  hymn  in  praise  of  the  storm  gods  is 
one  of  the  most  vivid  conceptions  of  Hindu  poetry 
that  can  be  found  upon  the  pages  of  the  Rig-veda.  It 
is  radiant  with  life  and  strength  through  all  its  elo- 
quent periods  : 

HYMN  TO  THE  MARUTS. 

1.  “The  active,  the  strong,  the  singers,  the  never 
flinching,  the  immovable,  the  wild,  the  most  beloved 
and  most  manly,  they  have  shown  themselves  with 
their  glittering  ornaments,  a few  only  like  the  heavens 
with  the  stars. 

2.  “When  you  see  your  way  through  the  clefts, 
you  are  like  birds,  0 Maruts,  on  whatever  road  it  be. 
The  clouds  drop  (rain)  on  your  chariots  everywhere, 
pour  out  the  honey  like  fat  for  him  who  praises  you. 

3.  “At  their  ravings  the  earth  shakes  as  if  broken, 
when  on  the  (heavenly)  paths  they  harness  their  deer 
for  victory.  They  the  sportive,  the  roaring,  with 


40 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


bright  spears,  the  shakers  of  the  clouds,  have  them- 
selves praised  their  greatness. 

4.  “ That  youthful  company  (of  the  Maruts)  with 
their  spotted  horses,  moves  by  itself,  hence  it  exercises 
lordship  and  is  invested  with  powers.  . . . Therefore 
thou  the  strong  hast,  and  thou  wilt  cherish  this  prayer. 

5.  “ We  speak  after  the  kind  of  our  old  father  ; our 
tongue  goes  forth  at  the  sight  of  the  soma ; when  the 
shouting  Maruts  had  joined  Indra  in  the  work,  then 
only  they  received  sacrificial  honors. 

6.  “For  their  glory  these  well-equipped  Maruts  ob- 
tained splendors ; they  obtained  rays  and  men  to  praise 
them ; nay,  these  well-armed,  nimble,  and  fearless  be- 
ings found  the  beloved  home  of  the  Maruts.  On  your 
bodies  there  are  daggers  for  beauty ; may  they  stir  up 
our  minds  as  they  stir  up  the  forests. 

7.  “For  your  sake,  0 well-born  Maruts,  you  who 
are  full  of  vigor,  they  have  shaken  the  stone  for  dis- 
tilling soma.  Days  went  round  you  and  came  back, 
O Maruts,  back  to  this  prayer,  and  to  this  sacred 
rite — the  Gotamas  making  prayer  with  songs  have 
pushed  up  the  lid  of  the  well  (the  cloud)  to  drink. 

8.  “No  such  hymn  was  ever  known  as  this  which 
Gotama  sounded  for  you,  0 Maruts,  when  he  saw  you 
on  golden  wheels — wild  boars,  rushing  about  with  iron 
tusks.  This  refreshing  draught  of  soma  rushes  toward 
you  like  the  voice  of  a suppliant — it  rushes  freely 
from  our  hands,  as.  these  libations  are  wont  to  do.”1 

The  hymns  of  the  Veda  are  not  all  of  them  hymns 
of  praise.  The  denunciations  of  their  priests  were 

> R.-v„  Vol.  I„  pp.  143-153,  Muller’s  trans. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  YEDAS.  41 

poured  out  upon  the  people,  and  even  upon  each  other, 
in  the  breath  of  these  poets.  For  instance  : 

“No,  by  heaven!  no,  by  earth!  I do  not  approve 
of  this;  no,  by  the  sacrifice!  No,  by  these  rites! 
May  the  mighty  mountains  crush  him  ! May  the 
priest  of  Atiya^a  perish  ! ” 

“Whosoever,  0 Maruts,  weans  himself  above  us,  or 
scoffs  at  the  prayer  (Brahma)  which  we  have  made, 
may  hot  plagues  come  upon  him ; may  the  sky  burn 
up  that  hater  of  Brahmans/’ 

“ Did  they  not  call  thee  Soma,  the  guardian  of 
Brahmans  ? Did  they  not  say  that  thou  didst  shield 
us  against  curses  ? Why  dost  thou  look  on  when 
we  are  scoffed  at  ? Hurl  against  the  hater  of  the 
Brahmans  the  fiery  spear.”1 

And  again,  “ Indra  and  Soma,  burn  the  devils  ; de- 
stroy them  ; throw  them  down,  ye  two  bulls,  the  peo- 
ple that  groan  in  darkness ! Hew  down  the  madmen, 
suffocate  them,  kill  them ; hurl  them  away,  and  slay 
the  voracious.  Indra  and  Soma,  up  together  against 
the  cursing  demon  ! May  he  burn  and  hiss  like  an 
oblation  in  the  fire  ! Put  your  everlastiug  hatred 
upon  the  villain  who  hates  the  Brahman,  who  eats 
flesh,  and  whose  look  is  abominable.  Indra  and  Soma, 
hurl  the  evil-doer  into  the  pit,  even  into  unfathomable 
darkness ! May  your  strength  be  full  of  wrath  to  hold 
out  that  no  one  may  come  out  again.”2 

The  numerous  deities  are  fully  described  and  mul- 
tiplied to  a certain  extent,  even  in  the  early  songs  ; 


l R.-v.,  VI.,  52. 


2 Muller's  trans. 


42 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


for  instance,  instead  of  the  one  god  of  storms,  we  have 
many.  Yet,  although  hymns  and  prayers  to  the  various 
gods  abound  in  the  Vedas,  it  is  declared  in  some  texts 
that  there  are  but  three  deities — the  air,  the  sun,  and 
fire — and  their  places  are  the  earth,  the  middle  region 
(between  heaven  and  earth),  and  heaven.  There  are 
also  repeated  texts  which  claim  that  there  is  but  one 
deity — the  supreme  spirit.  “ He  who  from  the  univer- 
sal world  proceeds,  who  is  Lord  of  the  earth,  and 
whose  work  is  the  universe,  is  the  Supreme  Being.”1 

It  is  fortunate  that  our  translators  have  not  under- 
taken the  task  of  reconciling  the  Vedas  with  them- 
selves. They  have  simply  tried  to  give  us  a faithful 
reproduction  of  these  books,  with  all  their  contradic- 
tions and  inconsistencies.  Although  the  pages  of  the 
Rig-veda  abound  with  incongruities  and  absurdities, 
they  are  free  from  the  grosser  immoralities  which  pol- 
lute the  later  literature  of  the  Brahmans.  There  is 

/ 

no  account  in  the  Rig-veda  of  such  characters  as  Siva 
and  Kali  ; no  trace  of  the  miraculous  stories  concern- 
ing Vishnu.  These,  with  the  descriptions  of  the  licen- 
tious Krishna,  were  reserved  for  the  later  fables  of  that 
romantic  clime. 

INDRA. 

This  was,  perhaps,  the  most  popular  of  all  the  early 
Vedic  deities.  Like  Agni,  his  brother,  he  is  hymned 
as  the  Supreme  Being,  superior  to  all  the  other  gods 
of  the  pantheon.  Though  sometimes  called  the  sun- 
light, he  is  looked  upon  as  the  watery  atmosphere, 
ever  seeking  to  dispense  his  dewy  treasures  (indu),  and 

l Religion  of  Hin.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  51. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  TIIE  VEDAS 


43 


constantly  opposed  by  a spirit  of  evil  called  Vritra. 
He  is  also  styled  the  “ thunder-bearer,”  or  god  of  bat- 
tles. He  was  the  Hindu  ideal  of  a hero,  who  was 
always  fighting  and  was  never  conquered.  He  was  the 
Jove  of  early  Indian  mythology,  and  the  favorite  deity 
of  a people  who  were  fighting  for  new  homes  and 
rich  herds  of  cattle.  Hence  the  great  number  of 
prayers  and  hymns  addressed  to  him.  He  is  repre- 
sented as  “the  king  of  heaven,”  as  “the  showerer  of 
blessings,”  and  as  “the  thunderer.”  Many  passages 
suggest  the  scene  upon  Olympus 

“ Where  far  apart  the  Thunderer  fills  his  throne. 

O’er  all  the  gods  superior  and  alone.” 

Like  Jove,  he  has  supreme  control  of  the  elements  ; 
he  rides  upon  the  storm  cloud  and  flashes  his  light- 
nings across  the  darkened  sky.  He  is  the  archer  who 
uses  the  rainbow  as  his  weapon,  whose  quiver  is  filled 
with  lightnings,  while  his  wrath  is  like  that  of  the 
Grecian  god  to  whose  will  Vulcan  counsels  submis- 
sion, 

“ Lest  roused  to  rage  he  shake  the  bless’d  abodes. 

Launch  the  red  lightning  and  dethrone  the  gods.” 

Indra,  the  wielder  of  the  thunderbolt,  may  also  be 
compared  to  the  German  Donar,  the  Saxon  Thunar, 
and  the  Thor  of  the  ancient  Norseman. 

Indra  is  the  king  of  the  Devas,  or  millions  of  ce- 
lestials who  belong  especially  to  his  own  Paradise.  He 
is  represented  with  four  arms  and  hands,  with  two  of 
which  he  holds  a lance,  while  a third  carries  a thun- 


44 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


derbolt.  His  reign  is  to  continue  one  hundred  years 
of  the  gods,  after  which  another  may,  by  great  sacri- 
fices, usurp  his  position.  One  hundred  successful  Asva- 
medhas,  or  horse  sacrifices,  are  said  to  qualify  the 
devotee  for  becoming  the  successor  of  Indra,  therefore 
the  god  usually  sends  one  of  his  celestial  atten- 
dants to  steal  away  the  horse  before  the  sacrifice  can 
be  performed. 

The  reign  of  this  popular  deity  extends  from  the 
early  Yedic  period  down  to  the  Puranic  age,  when  his 
star  declines  before  the  supremacy  of  more  modern  gods. 
Still,  he  is  a chieftain  among  inferior  deities  and  is 
always  at  war  with  the  giants  and  demons,  by  whom  he 
was  at  one  time  deposed.  Indra’s  partiality  for  the 
intoxicating  draught  has  been  discussed  in  the  previous 
chapter,  and  in  this,  too,  he  resembles  the  Grecian 
Jove,  as  well  as  Bacchus.  It  will  lie  remembered  that 
in  the  First  Book  of  the  Iliad  Vulcan  stayed  the  quar- 
rel between  Jove  and  his  angry  queen  by  counseling  his 
“goddess  mother”  to  submit  to  the  imperial  will,  and 
then 

“ Rising  with  a bound 

The  double  bowl  with  sparkling  nectar  crowned,” 

he  passed  to  all  the  deities  in  the  assembled  conclave, 
and  they  drank  freely  of  its  contents,  while 

“ Vulcan  with  awkward  grace  his  office  plies, 

And  unextinguished  laughter  shakes  the  skies.” 

The  frequent  offerings  of  the  intoxicating  beverage 
made  to  Indra  in  the  Vedic  age  were  accompanied  by 
the  chanting  of  hymns  urging  him  to  drink,  that  he 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  TIIE  VEDAS. 


45 


might  become  “ invigorated  ” and  able  to  cope  with  his 
enemies.  These  copious  offerings  of  soma  so  frequently 
made  to  the  “king  of  heaven”  suggest  that  classic 
scene  where  the  Greek  and  Trojan  powers  were  feast- 
ing through  the  night,  the  troops  of  Greece  upon  the 
field, -and  those  of  Troy  within  her  towers: 

“ But  Jove  adverse,  the  signs  of  wrath  displayed, 

And  shot  red  lightnings  through  the  gloomy  shade. 
Humbled  they  stood,  pale  horror  seized  on  all, 

While  the  deep  thunder  shook  the  aerial  hall. 

Each  poured  to  Jove  before  the  bowl  was  crowned, 
And  large  libations  drenched  the  thirsty  ground.” 

The  heroes  of  northern  mythology  also  share  in  this 
weakness  of  the  Indian  and  Grecian  deities.  Odin,  the 
chieftain  of  the  North  and  the  father  of  Thor,  lived 
exclusively  upon  wine  or  beer,  giving  the  food  which 
was  set  before  him  to  the  two  wolves  that  lay  at  his 
feet. 

Indra  is  represented  as  swiftly  obeying  the  summons 
of  his  worshipers  when  the  soma  is  poured  out  in  floods 
for  the  gratification  of  his  palate  and  the  exhilaration 
of  his  whole  being.  It  is  claimed  that  he  receives 
strength  from  this  beverage  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
not  only  vanquishes  his  foes,  but  supports  the  earth 
and  sky.  Heaven  and  earth  tremble  with  fear  at  the 
crash  of  his  thunder  ; his  enemies  are  pierced  and 
shattered  by  his  arrows  of  lightning,  and  the  waters 
descend  in  torrents  to  the  earth,  filling  the  rivers  which 
rush  in  rolling  floods  toward  the  sea. 

The  following  hymn  to  Indra  is  a sample  of  the 
songs  which  are  chanted  in  his  praise  : 


46 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


“ Let  no  one,  not  even  those  who  worship  thee, 
delay  thee  far  from  ns ! Even  from  afar  come  to  our 
feast ! Or,  if  thou  art  here,  listen  to  us.  For  these 
here  who  make  prayers  to  thee  sit  together  near  the 
libation,  like  Hies  round  the  honey.  The  worshipers 
anxious  for  wealth  have  placed  their  desire  upon  In- 
dia, as  we  put  our  foot  upon  a chariot.  Desirous  of 
riches,  I call  him  who  holds  the  thunderbolt  with 
his  arm,  and  who  is  a good  giver,  like  as  a son  calls 
his  father.  These  libations  of  soma  mixed  with  milk 
have  been  prepared  for  Indra.  Thou,  armed  with  the 
thunderbolt,  come  with  the  steeds  and  drink  of  them 
for  thy  delight — come  to  the  house  . 

“He  who  prepares  for  thee,  0 Vritra  killer,  deep 
libations  and  pours  them  out  before  thee,  that  hero 
thrives  with  Indra,  never  scorned  of  men. 

“Offer  soma  to  the  drinker  of  soma — to  Indra,  the 
lord  of  the  thunderbolt ; roast  roasts ; make  him  to 
protect  us.  Indra,  the  giver,  is  a blessing  to  him  who 
gives  oblations. 

“Do  not  grudge,  ye  givers  of  soma;  give  strength 
to  the  great  god,  make  him  to  give  wealth.  He  who 
alone  preserves,  conquers,  abides,  and  flourishes;  the 
gods  are  not  to  be  trifled  with. 

“No  one  surrounds  the  chariot  of  the  liberal  wor- 
shiper, no  one  stops  it.  He  whom  Indra  protects  and 
the  Maruts,  he  will  come  with  stables  full  of  cattle. 

“A  mortal  does  not  get  riches  by  scant  praise — no 
wealth  comes  to  the  grudger. 

“ The  strong  man  it  is,  0 mighty  ! who  in  the  day 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


47 


of  battle  is  a precious  gift  to  thee  like  as  to  me. 
We  call  to  thee,  0 hero,  like  cows  that  have  not  been 
milked  ; we  praise  thee  as  ruler  of  all  that  moves,  0 
Indra — as  ruler  of  all  that  is  immovable. 

“There  is  no  one  like  thee  in  heaven  or  earth; 
he  is  not  now  and  will  not  be  born.  0 mighty  In- 
dra ! we  call  upon  thee  as  we  go  fighting  for  cows 
and  horses.  Let  not  evil-disposed  wretches  and  un- 
hallowed tread  us  down.  Through  thy  help,  0 hero, 
let  us  step  over  the  rushing  eternal  waters.”1 

Food  is  provided  for  the  horses  of  Indra  by  the 
worshiper  who  pours  out  libations  of  soma  to  the  mas- 
ter, for  “the  king  of  heaven”  is  lepeatedly  represented 
as  driving  furiously  through  the  sky  in  his  chariot 
drawn  by  tawny  steeds.  So  in  Book  Eighth  of  the  Iliad 
the  sire  of  the  gods 

“ Called  his  coursers,  and  his  chariot  took. 

The  steadfast  firmament  beneath  them  shook  ; 

Rapt  by  the  ethereal  steeds  the  chariot  roll’d. 

Brass  were  their  hoofs,  their  curling  manes  of  gold.” 

His  fleet-footed  horses  rush  along  between  the  ex- 
tended earth  and  sky  until  they  reach  the  top  of  Mount 
Ida,  when 

“From  his  radiant  car  the  sacred  sire 

Of  gods  and  men  released  the  steeds  of  fire.” 

These  numerous  and  startling  coincidences  between 
the  early  Vedic  deities  and  the  gods  of  Greece  point 


i R.-v.,  II.,  32,  Wilson’s  trans. 


48 


THE  ANCIENT  HOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


to  the  common  origin  of  these  Aryan  myths,  espe- 
cially in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Iliad  itself  has  been 
traced  by  Grote  and  Buckley  to  776  B.  C.  Herodo- 
tus gives  still  earlier  dates,  for  he  places  Ilomer  with 
Hesiod,  400  years  before  his  own  time.  The  figures 
given  by  Herodotus  (who  wrote  444  B.  C.)  are  cor- 
roborated by  the  arguments  of  Wood1  and  Haller,2  and 
also  of  Mitford,  who  makes  a strong  argument  for  the 
historic  value  of  Homer’s  works.3  These  authorities 
place  Homer  about  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century 
B.  C.,  while  the  Arundelian  marbles  assign  him  to  907 
B.  C.  When  we  consider  that  the  myths  of  Greece 
existed  long  before  her  epic  poems,  we  must  refer  them 
back  almost  to  the  early  songs  of  the  Veda. 

The  mythology  of  Northern  Europe  also  bears  un- 
mistakable evidence  of  having  been  brought  from  the 
common  home  of  the  Aryan  race,  although  it  has  been 
developed  in  harmony  with  the  temperament  of  the 
Northern  people.  Even  amidst  these  rugged  rocks  and 
icebergs  we  find  almost  a counterpart  of  Indra  and  of 
Jove  in  the  descriptions  of  the  gigantic  Thor,  before 
whom  the  mountains  burst  and  the  earth  blazed. 
Sleipnir,  the  fleet-footed  horse  of  Odin,  compares  favor- 
ably with  the  “tawny  steeds”  of  Indra,  or  the  flying 
coursers  of  Jove.  If  Neptune’s  “ brass-hoof’d  steeds” 
were 

“Fleet  as  the  winds  and  deck’d  with  golden  manes,” 
the  famous  horse  of  the  Northern  god  cleared  the  gates 


i Essay  on  the  Original  Genius  of  Homer. 

: i Heyne,  Excurs.  4 ad.  II.,  84.  3 History  of  Greece,  pp.  81  and  139. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  VEDAS. 


49 


of  Hel1  at  a single  bound,  while  his  speed  rivaled  that 
of  the  winds,  and  the  golden  bridge  of  Gyoll  trembled 
more  beneath  his  tread  than  when  five  bands  of  dead 
men  rode  over  its  solemn  arches.  Ty,  or  Tyr,  the  son 
of  Odin,  is  the  god  of  war — the  Mars  of  Northern  Eu- 
rope— who  rides  fearlessly  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 
Gerd,  the  beautiful  maiden  with  shining  arms,  resisting 
the  advances  of  Frey,  the  god  of  rain  and  sunshine, 
represents  Ushas,  the  fair  goddess  of  the  morning,  flee- 
ing from  the  kisses  of  the  sun.  GCgir  is  the  storm  god 
of  the  ocean — the  Neptune  of  the  Northern  seas — before 
whose  trident  the  angry  billows  roll  upon  the  helpless 
shore. 

Loki,  the  god  of  fire,  bears  to  the  Northmen  the 
relation  that  Agni  holds  to  India.  His  servants  are 
the  subterranean  forces  which,  even  though  chained  in 
darkness,  throw  from  throbbing  mountains  their  burn- 
ing breath  and  liquid  fires. 

These  are  only  a few  of  the  many  parallels  which 
might  be  cited.  The  Persian  myths  could  also  be 
shown  to  belong  to  the  same  common  stock ; but  the 
illustrations  already  given  are  sufficient  to  prove  that  it 
was  in  the  early  days  of  the  Aryan  race,  when  the 
people  dwelt  in  a common  home  and  used  a common 
language,  that  their  myths  were  either  born  from  the 
realms  of  fancy  or  builded  upon  the  fragments  of  his- 
tory. 

i Hel  is  derived  from  at  helja,  signifying  to  hide.  It  is  used  in  the  Edda 
to  denote  the  kingdom  of  death,  and  all  who  died,  whether  saints  or 
sinners,  hastened  to  this  dark  region,  or  concealed  place— the  world  of 
the  tomb.  It  is  said  that  Hermod,  or  Hermodhr,  the  son  of  Odin,  rode 
the  fleet  horse  Sleipnir  for  nine  days  and  nights  before  he  came  to  the 
barred  gates  of  Hel,  hoping  to  recover  his  brother  Balder. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MYTHOLOGY  OP  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 

MULTIPLICATION  OF  DEITIES  — ANALOGY  BETWEEN  IN- 
DIAN AND  GREEK  GODS — MODERN  DEITIES — BRAHMA, 
VISHNU  AND  SIVA  — INCARNATIONS  OF  VISHNU  — 
GARUDA  — RECOVERY  OF  THE  LOST  NECTAR  OF  THE 
GODS  — SIVA. 

IP  ROM  the  foregoing  examination  of  the  early  Vedic 
T deities  it  has  been  seen  that  Yedism  was  little 
more  than  reverent  love  for  the  forces  of  nature,  and 
a desire  to  propitiate  them  in  order  to  receive  temporal 
blessings  at  their  hands.  No  one  can  examine  the 
Vedic  hymns  without  being  struck  with  the  great  num- 
ber of  prayers  offered  for  cattle  and  horses,  for  rain 
and  abundant  food,  as  well  as  for  vengeance  upon 
enemies.  The  gods  were  at  first  few  in  number  and 
simple  in  form,  but  these  early  deities  were  soon  multi- 
plied a thousand-fold,  and  at  length  the  Hindu  pan- 
theon contained  three  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of 
gods.  Out  of  this  vast  number  it  is  impossible  to  do 
more  than  glance  at  the  most  prominent  characters  of 
Indian  mythology.  Strong  points  of  analogy  might 
also  be  shoivn  between  the  Grecian  deities  and  the  later 
forms  of  Hindu  myth.  For  instance,  the  goddess 
Durga,  the  wife  of  Siva,  may  be  said  to  represent  Juno, 
the  imperious  queen  of  Jove.  Sri  might  also  be  com- 
pared with  the  Latin  Ceres — 

50 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 


51 


“ As  when  on  Ceres’  sacred  floor,  the  swain 

Spreads  the  wide  fan  to  clean  the  golden  grain, 

And  the  light  chaff  before  the  breezes  borne. 
Ascends  in  clouds  from  off  the  heapy  corn.”1 

Sarasvati,  the  goddess  of  speech  and  of  the  arts,  rep- 
resents Minerva,  who  was  born  from  the  head  of  Jove, 
and  who  taught  Epeus  to  frame  the  wooden  horse 
which  caused  the  downfall  of  Troy.  Kama,  the  god  of 
love,  is  the  Cupid  of  the  Hindus,  while  Rati,  his  wife, 
may  be  compared  to  “the  silver-footed  dame”  of  the 
Iliad.  Karttikeya,  the  god  of  war,  was,  like  Mars, 

“With  slaughter  red,  and  raging  round  the  field.” 

Karada  was  the  inventor  of  the  lute  in  Indian  my- 
thology, while  Mercury  of  the  Greeks  invented  the  lyre. 
Vayu,  the  god  of  the  wind,  represents  the  Grecian 
iEolus,  who  tied  up  all  the  winds  (except  Zephyrus)  in 
a bag  of  ox-hide  for  the  benefit  of  Ulysses,  that  he 
might  have  a favorable  passage  homeward.  Ganesa,  who 
presided  over  the  beginning  of  all  undertakings,  repre- 
sents Janus,  the  two-faced  deity  of  the  Latins,  who  was 
invoked  at  “the  commencement  of  campaigns.” 

BRAHMA,  VISHNU,  AND  SIVA 

are  the  most  popular  deities  in  modern  times.  In 
the  Middle  Ages  bitter  rivalries  sprang  up  between  the 
advocates  of  the  various  theological  systems,  the  Puranas 
being  divided  in  their  allegiance  to  these  gods.  But 
at  the  present  time  a more  tolerant  spirit  prevails,  and 
the  names  of  Brahma  Vishnu,  and  Siva,  are  by  many 


i Iliad.  V.,  500. 


52 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


regarded  merely  as  manifestations  of  one  Supreme  Be- 
ing. Brahma  is  confessedly  the  most  difficult  deity  in 
the  Hindu  pantheon  to  locate  intelligently.  The  dif- 
ficulty arises  from  the  fact  that  the  word  brahman 
originally  meant  force,  will,  or  wish ; it  was  imper- 
sonal, but  came  to  be  considered  as  the  creative  force 
in  the  universe,  even  before  it  was  endowed  with  per- 
sonality, and  while  it  existed  only  in  a neuter  form. 
Brahman  (neuter)  in  the  sense  of  a creative  principle 
does  not  occur  in  the  Rig-veda.  It  does  occur,  however, 
in  the  later  productions,  the  earliest  of  which  is  the 
Atharva-veda.  In  the  Brahmanas  this  Brahman  is 
called  “ the  first-born,  the  self-existing,  the  best  of 
the  gods,”  etc.  The  word  Brahmana  is  derived  from 
Brahman,  which  is  afterward  developed  into  a per- 
sonal deity.  In  Manu  (whose  code  dates  from  about 
500  B.  C.)  Brahman  is  represented  as  evolving  his 
essence  in  the  form  of  Brahma,  the  creator.  In  one 
of  the  Upanishads  there  is  an  account  of  the  creation 
of  all  things  by  this  deity,  which  will  be  examined  in 
a future  chapter,  under  the  head  of  Cosmogony.  The 
word  Brahma  is  the  nominative  case,  of  the  neuter 
Brahman.  When  Brahma  decided  to  create  the  universe 
he  assumed  the  quality  of  activity  and  became  a male 
deity,  Brahma.  He  also  willed  to  invest  himself  with 
preserving  power,  and  thus  became  Vishnu,  the  pre- 
server ; then  wishing  to  obtain  the  destructive  power, 
he  became  also  Siva,  the  destroyer.  This  doctrine 
of  the  triple  development  of  the  previously  neuter 
form  does  not  occur,  however,  until  we  reach  the 
Brahmanized  version  of  the  Indian  Epics.  These  three 
manifestations  of  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva  exhibit 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 


53 


the  principal  forms  of  Hinduism  as  expressed  in  the 
epic  poems,  and  stronger  still  in  the  later  Puranas. 1 
And  yet  Brahma,  who  in  his  later  form  is  the  creator 
of  all  things,  is  said  to  have  been  born  in  the  lotus 
blossom  that  sprang  from  Vishnu,  and  is  described  as 
having  four  faces.  In  the  Vishnu -purana,  which  dates 
from  about  the  eleventh  century  of  the  Christian  era, 
Brahma  is  said  to  live  one  hundred  years,  each  day 
of  which  consists  of  4,320,000,000  of  the  years  of 
mortals.  During  the  nights  of  Brahma  the  universe 
ceases  to  exist,  but  it  is  reproduced  at  the  beginning 
of  the  next  day.  Like  other  prominent  gods  of  the 
Hindus,  he  is  repeatedly  praised  as  the  Supreme  Being 
and  the  creator  of  all  the  others.  But  the  myth  grew 
slowly,  for  in  the  Maha-bharata,  a work  hundreds  of 
years  subsequent  to  the  Atharva-veda,  Maha-deva  is 
represented  as  the  creator  of  Brahma.  “From  his  right 
side  he  produced  Brahma,  the  originator  of  worlds ; 
from  his  left  side.  Vishnu,  the  preserver  of  the  universe, 
and  when  the  end  of  the  age  had  arrived  the  mighty 
god  created  Rudra”  (afterward  Siva).2 

VISHNU. 

There  is  mention  of  a god  Vishnu  in  the  Rig-veda, 
but  he  is  there  spoken  of  as  a manifestation  of  solar 
energy,  or  rather  as  a form  of  the  sun.  He  is  repre- 
sented as  stepping  over  the  heavens  in  three  paces,  sym- 
bolizing the  sun’s  rising,  his  passage  across  the  meri- 
dian, and  his  setting.  Afterwards  Vishnu  takes  his 
place  among  the  twelve  Adityas,  or  twelve  phases  of 
the  sun  during  the  twelve  months  of  the  year.  Later, 


i Ind.  Wis.,  pp.  324-327. 


- Muir's  Sans.  Texts,  pp.  156-162. 


54 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


in  the  Brahmanas,  he  is  identified  with  sacrifice.  It 
was  the  Vedic  Vishnu  who  afterward  became  the  world 
preserver,  while  Rudra  (connected  with  Indra  and  the 
Maruts),  the  god  of  tempests,  became  the  world  dis- 
solver,  Siva.  There  is  no  trace  of  Vishnu  in  the  In- 
stitutes of  Manu,  unless  the  allusions  to  inferior  gods 
may  apply  to  him.  In  the  Maha-bharata  he  is  some- 
times regarded  as  the  most  exalted  deity,  and  again 
he  is  represented  as  paying  homage  to  Siva  and  recog- 
nizing the  superiority  of  that  deity  over  himself.  He 
is  quite  prominent  in  the  Ramayana,  but  it  is  in  the 
Puranas  that  the  most  wonderful  exploits  and  the 
greatest  glory  are  assigned  to  him.  From  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  era  to  the  Puranas  there  were 
from  six  to  eight  centuries,  during  which  Vishnu  was 
growing  in  importance,  till  in  the  lltli  century  A.  D. 
he  was  glorified  in  the  most  extravagant  terms  in  the 
voluminous  Vishnu-purana.  The  writer  of  this  work 
exhausts  the  resources  of  language  in  extolling  the  deity 
who  has  reached  the  zenith  of  his  popularity  only  in 
medheval  times.  No  exploit  is  too  great,  no  descrip- 
tions too  wild,  no  mythology  too  fabulous  to  be  applied 
to  the  god  who  is  here  claimed  to  be  the  conqueror 
of  Indra  and  the  creator  of  Brahma.  He  is  alluded 
to  in  various  forms  in  these  later  books  (the  Puranas), 
as  it  is  claimed  that  he  had  ten  avatars,  or  incarna- 
tions. 

The  doctrine  of  the  avatars  of  Vishnu  is  not  fully 
developed  until  we  come  down  to  the  Puranas,  about 
the  middle  of  the  Christian  era.  It  is  true  that  the 
legends  of  the  fish,  the  boar,  and  the  tortoise  are  found 
in  the  Satapatha-brahmana,  hut  it  is  only  in  the 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HIKDU  WORKS. 


55 


much  later  Paninas  that  they  are  described  as  incarna- 
tions of  Vishnu.1 

1.  Matsya,  or  fish/  in  which  character  he  saved 
the  seventh  man,  the  progenitor  of  the  human  race, 
from  the  deluge.  (This  story  is  graphically  told  in 
the  Satapatha-brahmana,  and  is  repeated  in  the  Maha- 
bharata.) 

2.  Kurma,  the  tortoise,  In  this  form  he  descended 
to  aid  in  recovering  certain  valuable  articles  lost  in 
the  deluge. 

3.  Varaha,  the  boar.  Having  assumed  this  form, 
lie  descended  to  deliver  the  world  from  the  power  of 
the  golden-eyed  demon,  who  had  seized  it  and  car- 
ried it  down  to  the  depths  of  the  sea.  Vishnu  as  a 
boar  dived  into  the  abyss,  and  after  a contest  of  a 
thousand  years  he  slew  the  monster  and  raised  the 
earth.  In  other  legends  the  universe  is  represented  as 
a mass  of  water,  and  the  earth,  being  submerged,  was 
upheaved  by  the  tusks  of  the  divine  boar.  “ It  is  a 
noticeable  fact,”  says  Sir  Monier  Williams,  “that  the 
first  three  incarnations  of  Vishnu  are  all  connected 
with  the  tradition  of  a universal  deluge.” 

4.  Nara-sinha,  the  man  lion.  He  assumed  this 

shape  to  deliver  the  world  from  the  tyranny  of  a 
demon,  who  had  obtained  from  Brahma  the  promise 
that  he  should  not  be  slain  either  by  a god,  a man, 
or  an  animal.  (These  four  incarnations  are  said  to 

i Trans.  Vie.  Inst.,  Vol.  XXI.,  p.  1G7. 

2The  first  incarnation  of  this  god  as  a fish  is  suggestive  of  Janus,  the 
two-faced  deity  of  Roman  mythology,  who,  with  his  wife  and  his  sister 
Camasane  is  often  represented  as  half  fish  and  half  human.  Compare 
also  the  avatar  as  a fish  with  the  Babylonian  legend  of  Oannes  and  the 
Syrian  goddess  Atergatis,  who  was  worshiped  at  Ilierapolis,  having  a 
woman's  figure,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  a fish. 


56 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


have  taken  place  in  the  Satya,  or  first  age  of  the 
world. ) 

5.  Vamana,  the  dwarf,  which  character  he  assumed 
to  deprive  the  demon  Bali  of  the  dominion  of  the 
three  worlds.  Vishnu  presented  himself  as  a very  di- 
minutive man,  and  solicited  as  much  land  as  he  could 
step  over  in  three  paces.  When  this  request  was 
granted  he  strided  over  heaven  and  earth,  but  in 
compassion  to  the  demon  he  left  hell  in  his  posses- 
sion. 

6.  Parasu-rama,  Rama  with  the  ax ; in  this  char- 
acter Vishnu  is  said  to  have  cleared  the  earth  twenty- 
one  times  of  the  Kshatriya,  or  military  class. 

7.  Rama-canbra,  hero  of  the  epic  poem  Ramayana. 

8.  Krishna,  the  dark  god,  which  form  he  assumes 
at  the  end  of  the  Davapara,  or  third  age  of  the  world. 
Krishna  was  the  younger  brother  of  Bala-rama,  “ the 
strong  Rama,”  who  has  sometimes  been  called  the 
eighth  avatar  of  Vishnu.  But  in  later  times  Krishna 
appears  to  have  supplanted  his  brother  as  the  eighth 
incarnation.1  As  Krishna  worship  is  nowhere  mentioned 
in  the  early  Vedic  writings,  this  god  will  be  treated  in 
connection  with  the  later  forms  of  Hindu  literature, 
where  he  chronologically  belongs.2 

9.  Buddha.  According  to  the  Brahmans,  Vishnu 
assumed  this  form  to  delude  the  demons  into  neglect- 
ing the  worship  of  the  gods,  and  thus  exposing  them- 
selves to  destruction. 

It  appears  that  Buddha  was  canonized,  so  to  speak, 
by  receiving  the  rank  of  the  ninth  avatar  of  Vishnu 
after  the  expulsion  of  Buddhism  as  a sect  from  India. 


i Traus.  Vic.  lust.,  Vol.  XXI.,  p.  177. 


2 Chap.  23. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 


57 


10.  Kalki,  or  Kalkin,  who  is  yet  to  appear  at  the 
close  of  the  fourth  age,  when  the  world  has  become 
wholly  depraved,  for  the  final  destruction  of  the  wicked, 
the  re-establishment  of  righteousness  upon  the  earth,  the 
renovation  of  all  the  earth,  and  the  return  to  a new  age 
of  purity.  According  to  some,  he  will  be  seen  in  the  sky, 
seated  on  a white  horse,  with  a drawn  sword  in  his  hand, 
blazing  like  a comet.  This  last  picture — taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  well-established  fact  of  the  modern  char- 
acter of  the  Puranas — seems  to  have  been  drawn  from 
Revelation  xix:  11  and  15:  “And  I saw  heaven  opened, 

and  behold  a white  horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was 
called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness  he  doth 
judge  and  make  war.  . . . And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth 
a sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations, 
and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a rod  of  iron.  And  he 
treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
Almighty  God.” 

Some  works  give  twenty-four  avatars,  and  some  call 
them  numberless,  but  the  generally  received  mythol- 
ogy accords  to  Vishnu  only  the  ten  which  are  here 
spoken  of. 

Vishnu  is  represented  as  riding  upon  Garuda,  a crea- 
ture which  is  half  man  and  half  eagle.  This  is  the  king 
of  birds  and  the  fearless  enemy  of  the  serpent  tribe.  The 
intrepid  Garuda  of  the  Hindus  is  represented  in  Persia 
by  the  Simurgh,1  that  ancient  bird  which  has  seen  the 

i The  golden-pinioned  Simurgh  is  a fabulous  bird  that  is  said  to  live  in  the 
Caucasian  mountains,  and  Prof.  Eastwick  supposes  that  the  idea  was  derived 
from  the  Jewish  tradition  of  a huge  bird  mentioned  in  the  Talmud  under  the 
name  of  Yukhush.  A picture  of  the  Simurgh,  which  was  taken  from  a Per- 
sian drawing,  represents  him  as  flying  with  an  elephant  in  his  beak  and 
another  in  each  of  his  talons. 


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great  cycle  of  seven  thousand  years  twelve  times,  and 
twelve  times  beheld  an  unjieopled  earth.  He  finds  a 
parallel  in  the  fabled  Anka  of  Arabia  which  is  said 

to  be  “known  in  name  and  unknown  in  body,”  the 

Eorosh  of  the  Zend,  and  the  Kerkes  of  the  Turks. 

The  Japanese  also  have  their  Kirni,  while  China  rejoices 
in  her  nondescript  dragon,  a combination  of  bird  and 
reptile. 

The  Hindu  Garucla  suggests,  too,  the  Griffin  of  Chiv- 
alry,1 the  fabulous  monster,  half  bird  and  half  lion,  that 
protected  the  gold  of  the  Hyperborean  regions  from  the 
one-eyed  Arimaspians,  and  the  Phoenix  of  Egyptian 
fable — the  bird  of  gold  and  crimson  plumage  that  is 

burned  upon  her  nest  of  spices  every  thousand  years, 
and  as  often  springs  to  life  from  her  ashes.  To  these 
wonderful  parallels  we  might  add  the  ancient  bird  in 
Scandinavian  mythology  which  sits  in  the  branches 
of  Yggdrasil,  the  great  ash  tree,  which  is  the  most 
sacred  place  of  the  gods,  and  where  they  daily  sit  in 
judgment.2 

1 In  the  Second  Book  of  “Paradise  Lost”  Milton  makes  a comparison  with 
the  Griffin  as  follows: 

“As  when  a Gryphon  through  the  wilderness 
With  winged  course,  o’er  hill  and  moory  dale, 

Pursues  the  Arimaspiau  who  by  stealth 
Hath  from  his  wakeful  custody  purloined 
His  guarded  gold,”  etc. 

2 The  branches  of  the  Yggdrasil  spread  themselves  over  the  whole  world 
and  tower  far  above  the  heavens.  It  has  three  roots,  and  various  theories 
are  given  as  to  their  exact  location;  but  according  to  the  prose  Edda,  the 
first  root  reaches  to  the  middle  of  the  world ; the  second  to  the  frost  giants^ 
and  the  third  is  constantly  gnawed  by  the  great  serpent  Nidhogg.  Under  the 
first  root  is  the  sacred  fountain  of  Urd,  where  the  gods  sit  in  judgment,  and 
a fair  hall,  from  which  go  forth  three  maidens,  the  past,  the  present,  aud  the 
future.  In  the  branches  of  the  tree  sits  an  eagle  that  knows  many 
things.  Between  his  eyes  sits  the  hawk.  The  squirrel  runs  up  and  down 
the  tree  and  carries  bitter  messages  between  the  eagle  and  the  serpent, 
while  four  harts  run  among  the  boughs  and  bite  the  buds  of  the  tree. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS.  59 

RECOVERY  OF  THE  LOST  NECTAR  OF  THE  GODS. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  exploits  of  Vishnu  is  his 
recovery  of  the  lost  nectar  of  the  gods.  In  this  beautiful 
legend  the  gods'  are  represented  as  having  been  conquered 
in  battle  by  demons  and  robbed  of  their  strength,  where- 
upon Vishnu  gives  orders  to  have  the  ocean  churned  into 
a nectar  for  the  gods,  declaring  that  this  nectar  will  at 
once  restore  their  supernatural  power  and  enable  them  to 
destroy  their  enemies.  For  this  purpose  the  gods  are 
ordered  to  collect  all  plants  and  herbs  and  cast  them  into 
the  sea,  taking  the  mountain  Mandara  for  a churning 
stick  and  Vasuki,  the  serpent,  for  a rope,  while  Vishnu 
himself,  in  the  form  of  a tortoise,  becomes  a resting-place 
for  the  mountain.  Then  they  churn  the  ocean  until  they 
have  produced  the  ambrosial  food  of  immortality. 

“Straightway  they  gathered  herbs,  and  cast  them 
Into  the  waters;  then  they  took  the  mountain 
To  serve  as  a churning  staff,  and  next  the  snake 
To  serve  as  cord,  and  in  the  ocean’s  midst 
Hari  (Vishnu)  himself  present,  in  tortoise  form, 

Became  a pivot  for  the  churning  staff. 

Then  they  did  churn  the  sea  of  milk,1  and  first 
Out  of  the  waters  rose  the  sacred  cow, 

God-worshiped  Surabhi — eternal  fountain 
Of  milk  and  offerings  of  butter;  next,  . . . 

With  eyes  all  rolling,  Varuni  uprose. 

Goddess  of  wine.  Then  from  the  whirlpool  sprang 
Fair  Parijata,  tree  of  Paradise,  delight 
Of  heavenly  maidens,  with  its  fragrant  blossoms 
Perfuming  the  whole  world. 

i The  sixth  circumambient  ocean  of  the  world,  according  to  Indian  cos- 
mogony. 


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<( . . . Then  seated  on  a lotus 
Beauty’s  bright  goddess,  peerless  Sri,1  arose 
Out  of  the  waves;  and  with  her,  robed  in  white, 

Came  forth  Dhanvantari,  the  gods’  physician. 

High  in  his  hand  he  bore  the  cup  of  nectar — 
Life-giving  draught — longed  for  by  gods  and  demons. 
Then  had  the  demons  forcibly  borne  off 
And  drained  the  precious  beverage, 

Had  not  the  mighty  Vishnu  interposed. 

Bewildering  them,  he  gave  it  to  the  gods; 

Whereat  incensed,  the  demon  troops  assailed 
The  hosts  of  heaven.  But  they  with  strength  renewed 
Quaffing  the  draught,  struck  down  their  foes,  who  fell 
Headlong  through  space  to  lowest  depths  of  hell.” 

This  poetic  legend  is  given  in  the  beautiful  transla- 
tion of  Sir  Monier  Williams.  The  dark  and  turbid 
waters  of  Oriental  literature  became  gradually  purified 
as  they  flowed  through  the  poetical  natures  of  some  of 
our  translators.  The  vulgarity  and  meaningless  repe- 
tition which  we  often  find  in  the  works  of  native  schol- 
ars gives  place  in  other  hands  to  expressions  of  high 
poetic  beauty.  Their  own  literary  style  is  so  refined 
that,  unconsciously  perhaps  to  themselves,  English  schol- 
ars have  elevated  Hindu  poetry  to  a rank  which  it 
never  could  have  occupied  without  them.  The  con- 
trast is  never  more  forcible  than  when  comparing  their 
work  with  the  translations  of  the  Pandits.  Boldness 
then  gives  place  to  beauty  ; vulgarity  yields  to  refine- 

i According  to  Ilesiod  Venus  was  bora  from  the  foam  of  the  sea  (Hes. 
Theog.  188  seq.)  and  Homer  speaks  of  Thetis  as  rising  from  the  ocean: 
“When  like  the  morning  mist  in  early  day 
Rose  from  the  flood  the  daughter  of  the  sea.” 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 


61 


ment  ancl  delicacy;  while  crude  ideas  are  so  clad  in  the 
graceful  drapery  of  language  as  to  seem  like  the  mas- 
terpieces of  thought. 

The  modern  triad  of  Hindu  theology  is  completed  by 
SIVA,  THE  GOD  OF  DESTRUCTION. 

Says  Max  Muller,  “ The  stories  of  Siva,  Kali, 
Krishna,  etc.,  are  of  late  growth,  indigenous  to  India, 
and  full  of  wild  and  fanciful  conceptions.” 

In  the  form  of  Siva,  Brahma  is  supposed  to  pass 
from  the  work  of  creation  and  preservation  to  that  of 
destruction.  Even  the  god  of  dissolution  was  repre- 
sented by  the  human  form.  Hence,  he  was  said  to  be 
living  in  the  Himalaya  Mountains,  together  with  his 
wife  Parvati,  the  daughter  of  the  mountain.  She  was 
worshiped  in  Bengal  under  the  name  of  Durga. 

The  name  Siva  means  “auspicious;”  like  the  other 

deities,  he  is  represented  as  the  Supreme  God,  though 

having  over  a thousand  names,  such  as  “ The  Lord  of 

the  Universe,”  “ The  Destroyer,”  “ The  Reproducer,” 

“The  Conqueror  of  Life  and  Death,”  etc.,  etc.  His 

/ 

especial  worshipers  are  called  Saivas,  who  exalt  him  to 
the  highest  place  in  the  heavens  ; he  is  represented  as 
Time,  Justice,  Fire,  Water,  The  Sun,  as  also  the  Cre- 
ator and  the  Destroyer.  His  personal  appearance  must 
be  rather  striking,  as  his  throat  is  dark  blue  and  his 
hair  light  red,  thickly  matted  together  on  the  top  of 
his  head.  He  is  well  supplied  with  hands,  the  number 
varying  with  different  authorities  from  four  to  eight  or 
ten.  He  has  five  faces,  in  one  of  which  is  a third  eye 
situated  in  the  centre  of  the  forehead,  and  pointing  up 
and  down.  These  three  eyes  are  said  to  denote  his 


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view  of  the  three  divisions  of  time — past,  present, 
and  future,  lie  holds  a trident  in  his  hand,  to  denote 
that  the  three  great  attributes  of  Creator,  Destroyer, 
and  Regenerator  are  combined  in  him. 

He  wears  a tiger’s  skin  for  a garment,  while  his  neck 
is  encircled  with  two  necklaces,  one  made  of  human 
skulls  and  the  other  of  serpents,  which  twist  their  hor- 
rid forms  around  his  body  and  neck.  The  shield  of 
Jove  is  described  as 

“ Dire,  black,  tremendous ! Round  the  margin  roll’d 
A fringe  of  serpents,  hissing,  guards  the  gold.” 

In  like  manner  this  Hindu  deity  bristles  everywhere 
with  snakes.  They  are  bound  in  his  hair,  they  twine 
around  his  neck,  their  slimy  forms  encircle  his  wrists, 
his  arms,  and  his  legs.  He  wears  them  as  rings 
about  his  fingers ; they  hang  like  mammoth  pendants 
from  his  ears,  until  he  is  like 

“ Gorgon  rising  from  the  infernal  lakes, 

With  horrors  armed,  and  curls  of  hissing  snakes.” 
/ / 

According  to  Wilson,  Sveta  (white),  Svetasva  (white- 
horsed),  Sveta-sikha  (white-haired),  and  Sveta-lohita 
(white-blooded),  were  the  names  of  four  disciples  of 
Siva.  Prof.  Wreber  thinks  that  this  form  of  myth  has 
grown  from  the  teachings  of  Syrian  Christians,  and 
claims  that  both  the  Upanishad  and  the  Gita — the  lat- 
ter especially — may  have  borrowed  ideas  from  Chris- 
tianity. 

The  ideal  Hindu  deity  taxes  the  imaginative  mind 
of  the  worshiper  to  the  utmost,  and  the  grotesque  is 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS. 


63 


everywhere  mingled  with  the  beautiful.  For  instance, 
Indra  is  represented  as  having  a thousand  eyes,  and 
Agni  two  faces,  three  legs  and  seven  arms,  with  eyes, 
eyebrows,  and  hair  of  a tawny  color.  He  is  sometimes 
represented  as  riding  a ram,  and  again  he  appears  on 
the  back  of  a goat,  and  still  later  in  a gleaming  chariot 
drawn  by  “tawny  steeds.”  Varuna  has  two  stomachs, 
each  of  which  contains  an  ocean.  Ushas,  the  beauti- 
ful woman  who  personifies  the  dawn,  is  said  to  be  the 
“mother  of  cows  or  mornings.” 

Karttikeya,  the  god  of  Avar,  and  also  the  god  of 
thieves,  is  a handsome  young  man  with  six  faces. 

Havana,  the  demon  king  of  Ceylon,  has  ten  heads, 
twenty  arms,  copper-colored  eyes,  and  a heavy  beard 
composed  of  the  shining  bodies  of  black  serpents. 
Brahma  is  described  as  having  four  faces,  golden  tusks, 
and  wonderfully  complicated  feet.  Ganesa  has  the 
body  of  a man  and  the  head  of  an  elephant,  on  which 
he  wears  a crown.  His  ears  are  adorned  with  jewels 
and  his  forehead  is  sprinkled  with  sacred  ashes.  He 
has  four  arms,  two  of  which  being  elevated  hold  a rope 
and  an  elephant  goad ; the  other  two  grasp  respect- 
ively an  elephant’s  tooth  and  a pancake.  He  is  said 
to  be  very  fond  of  pancakes,  and  his  image  stands  in 
almost  every  house,  where  he  is  worshiped  by  men  and 
women  at  the  beginning  of  any  important  event.  In- 
deed, the  whole  pantheon  teems  with  horrible  and 
grotesque  creations,  half  man  and  half  god. 

In  the  Indian  Epics,  trooqts  of  deities  and  semi- 
divine personages  are  constantly  appearing,  while  gods, 
animals,  and  men  keep  changing  places.  The  gods 
often  look  to  mortals  for  their  daily  sustenance.  They 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


64 

are  represented  as  actually  living  on  the  sacrifices 
which  are  offered  them  by  human  beings,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  gather  in  hungry  troops  at  every  sacrificial 
ceremony  to  feed  on  the  oblations.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  gods  would  starve  to  death  but  for  these 
offerings. 

They  are  also  represented  as  being  dependent  upon 
animals  and  plants  for  the  means  of  conveyance.  Brah- 
ma is  carried  on  a swan,  sometimes  on  a lotus.  Lakshml 
is  seated  on  a lotus,  or  carries  one  in  her  hand.  Siva 
rides  a white  bull,  which  is  his  companion.  Karttikeya, 
the  god  of  war  and  of  thieves,  appears  astride  a peacock. 
Indra  is  borne  on  an  elephant ; Yama,  the  god  of 
death,  appears  mounted  on  a buffalo.  Kama,  the  god 
of  love,  rides  either  a parrot  or  a fish.  Ganesa  is  as- 
sociated with  a rat,  a symbol  of  great  sagacity;  Varuna 
with  a fish.  Durga,  the  wife  of  Siva,  rides  a tiger, 
though  she  is  sometimes  represented  as  being  on  the 
bull  with  Siva  and  his  countless  serpents. 

Vishnu  is  represented  as  the  Supreme  Being  sleep- 
ing on  a thousand-headed  seiqient  called  Sesha,  and 
Sesha  in  his  turn  is  the  chief  of  a race  of  Nil  gas,  or 
semi-divine  beings,  half  serpents  and  half  men,  their 
heads  being  human,  and  their  bociies  snake-like.1  The 
simple  faith  of  the  Hindu  accepts  the  most  incongruous 
fiction  without  a .doubt  or  a question.  There  is  ap- 
parently no  demand  for  history  in  their  literature. 
The  Oriental  imagination  craves  the  most  impossible 
creations,  and  worships  with  simple  devotion  at  the 
shrine  of  the  most  rejmlsive  combinations. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  Aryan  people  at  one 


l Ind.  Wis.,  p.  429. 


MYTHOLOGY  OF  LATER  HINDU  WORKS.  65 

time  shared  a common  home,  and  that  when  the  various 
families  migrated  to  different  countries  they  carried 
with  them  a language  which  became  the  stock  of  the 
modern  languages  of  Europe,  and  also  the  germs  of 
their  later  mythologies.  But  in  those  early  days  when 
their  worship  was  simp®  adoration  of  the  forces  of 
nature,  their  faith  was  purer  and  their  lives  consequently 
better  than  when  in  later  centuries  their  pantheon  con- 
tained millions  of  deities,  and  the  worship  of  painted 
idols  was  mingled  with  the  adoration  of  the  host  of 
heaven. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  VEDAS  AND  THE  SUTTEE. 

LITERARY  IMPORTANCE  — DISCUSSIONS  BETWEEN  EURO- 
PEAN AND  NATIVE  SCHOLARS  — COLEBROOKE’s  TRANS- 
LATION OF  DISPUTED  TEXT  — MUTILATION  OF  THE 
TEXT  — TESTIMONY  OF  RAJA  RADHAKANT  DEB  — THE 
RITE  NOT  ADVOCATED  IN  THE  R1G-VEDA — DISGRACE 
OF  AVOIDING  THE  SUTTEE— INSTANCE  OF  ESCAPE  — 
ENTHUSIASM  OF  NATIVE  POETS  — LORD  WILLIAM 
BENTINCK. 

AN  examination  of  the  historic  suttee  is  peculiarly  in- 
teresting  in  connection  with  the  teaching  of  the 
Vedas,  as  the  question  became  purely  a literary  one.  The 
English  government  had  pledged  itself  not  to  inter- 
fere with  Hindu  religion ; therefore,  if  the  Vedas 
proper,  really  sanctioned  the  horrible  crime  of  burning 
a living  woman  with  her  dead  husband,  the  govern- 
ment would  be  powerless  to  prevent  it. 

For  many  years  an  animated  discussion  was  carried 
on  between  our  own  scholars  and  natives  of  high  posi- 
tion and  learning  in  relation  to  the  teaching  of  the 
Vedas  upon  this  subject.1  When  the  English  govern- 
ment proposed  to  prohibit  the  terrible  custom  the  na- 
tives appealed  at  ouce  to  the  official  pledge  that  they 

i While  this  question  was  being  discussed  the  number  of  women  burned 
alive  varied  from  three  hundred  to  eight  hundred  per  year. 

66 


THE  VEDAS  AXD  THE  SUTTEE. 


67 


should  not  be  deterred  from  the  exercise  of  their  relig- 
ious rites.  For  a time  the  country  was  threatened  with 
a fanatical  rebellion  in  consequence  of  the  agitation 
of  this  question.  Raghu-nandana  and  other  learned 
natives  quoted  the  Rig-veda  in  support  of  their  claim 
for  the  suttee,  and  II.  T.  Colebrooke,  a Sanskrit  scholar 
of  world-wide  fame,  translated  this  passage  in  harmony 
with  their  views: 

“ Om : Let  these  women  not  be  widowed,  good 

wives  adorned  with  collyrium,  holding  clarified  butter, 
consign  themselves  to  the  fire.  Immortal,  not  childless, 
not  husbandless,  well  adorned  with  gems,  let  them  pass 
into  the  fire,  whose  original  element  is  water.”  It  has 
been  claimed  that  the  natives  mutilated  this  text  by 
changing  the  word  “ agre  ” into  “ agneh,”  but  no  one 
was  then  able  to  detect  this  literary  outrage,  and  women 
continued  to  be  offered  as  living  sacrifices  upon  the 
dead  bodies  of  their  husbands.  In  India,  where  human 
life  was  so  lightly  esteemed,  these  human  sacrifices 
. failed  to  inspire  the  horror  that  they  would  have  aroused 
in  the  early  history  of  the  Jewish  people,  whose  laws 
were  so  emphatically  against  such  practices. 

The  first  Oriental  scholar  to  discover  the  imposition 
which  had  been  practiced  upon  the  people  by  the  cor- 
ruption of  the  text,  was  Prof.  Horace  Hayman  Wilson, 
who  makes  an  elaborate  argument  to  prove  that  the 
Rig-veda  teaches  no  such  thing  as  the  natives  claim. 
Max  Muller  stands  faithfully  by  Wilson,  and  claims 
that  the  true  rendering  of  the  mutilated  passage  should 
be  : “ May  these  women  who  are  not  widows,  but  have 

good  hucbands,  draw  near  with  oil  and  butter.  Those 
who  are  mothers  may  go  up  first  to  the  altar  without 


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tears,  without  sorrow,  but  decked  with  fine  jewels/’ 
He  also  claims  that  the  verse  which  the  Brahmans  have 
mutilated  in  the  support  of  their  claim  is  followed  by 
these  words,  which  are  addressed  to  the  wife  of  the 
dead  man : “ Rise,  woman,  come  to  the  world  of  life; 
thou  sleepest  nigh  unto  him  whose  life  is  gone.  Come 
to  us,  thus  hast  thou  fulfilled  thy  duties  of  a wife 
to  the  husband  who  once  took  thee  by  the  hand  and 
made  thee  a mother.”1  In  J.  H.  Bushby’s  valuable 
work  on  this  subject,  he  claims  that  the  weight  of  evi- 
dence, from  both  native  and  European  Orientalists,  is 
in  favor  of  the  humane  exposition  of  the  Veda.  But 
on  the  other  side  we  have  the  testimony  of  the  most 
distinguished  scholar  of  Calcutta,  Raja  Radhakant  Deb, 
who  occupied  a foremost  place  amongst  the  Sanskrit 
scholars  of  the  world,  and  whose  literary  encyclopedia 
of  the  Sanskrit  language  in  seven  quarto  volumes  occu- 
pies a prominent  place  in  Europe,  as  well  as  India. 

Prof.  Wilson  says  that  “ any  opinion  coming  from 
him  on  subjects  connected  with  the  ancient  literature 
of  this  country  is  entitled  to  the  greatest  deference.” 
His  views  in  relation  to  the  suttee  were  fully  expressed 
to  his  friend,  Dr.  Wilson,  in  a cordial  letter.  This 
communication  was  written  after  the  abolition  of  the 
hideous  practice  in  the  Indian  territories  belonging  to 
the  English  government.  The  question  having  been 
legally  settled,  its  discussion  was  looked  upon  by  the 
learned  Hindu  as  being  of  interest  to  the  historian 
only,  and  that  merely  from  a literary  point  of  view. 
This  being  the  case,  his  most  strenuous  opponents 
could  hardly  accuse  him  of  literary  dishonesty  or  mis- 
representation. 


l Chips,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  33-37. 


THE  VEDAS  AND  THE  SUTTEE. 


69 


It  is  a noteworthy  fact  that  lie  does  not  base  his 
opinion  upon  the  text,  which,  Prof.  Wilson  confidently 
stated,  had  been  mutilated  by  the  natives.  Raja  Rad- 
hakant  Deb  claimed  that  the  most  explicit  authority 
for  the  burning  of  a widow  with  her  deceased  hus- 
band was  to  be  found  in  one  of  the  Upani shads,  and 
he  gave  the  following  literal  translation  of  the  extract: 

1.  “ 0 Agni,  of  all  Vratas,1  thou  art  the  Vratapati,2 
I will  observe  the  vow  (Vrata)  of  following  the  husband. 
Do  thou  enable  me  to  accomplish  it. 

2.  “ Here  (in  this  rite)  to  thee,  0 Agni,  I offer 

salutation  : I enter  into  thee : (wherefore)  this  day 

satisfied  with  the  clarified  butter  (offered  by  me)  in- 
spire me  with  courage,  and  take  me  to  my  lord.” 
“Agreeably  to  this  Vaidic  instruction,  the  Sutrakaras 
direct  that  the  widow,  like  the  sacrificial  utensils, 
should  be  made  to  lie  upon  the  funeral  pile  of  her 
husband.  To  the  widow  placed  beside  the  lifeless  body 
of  her  husband,  a certain  part  of  the  Mantras  are  to 
be  addressed  by  her  husband’s  brother  or  fellow  stu- 
dent.”3 This  eminent  authority  also  cites  extracts  from 
various  sacred  books,  from  which  the  rules  and  directions 
of  the  cruel  rite  have  been  derived. 

Radhakant  Deb  admits  that  there  is  some  variance 
among  the  sacred  works  upon  this  subject,  and  says  : 
“Where  there  are  two  authorities  of  a contradictory 
character,  but  of  equal  cogency,  an  alternative  must 
be  supposed  to  be  allowed.  The  Sutrakaras  upon  the 
Medic  authority  above  set  forth  direct  that  the  widow 
as  well  as  the  sacrificial  utensils  of  the  deceased  Brah- 


i Vowed  or  voluntary  observances. 

3 Works  of  II.  H.  Wilson,  Vol.  II.,  p.  296. 


2 Lord  ofVratras. 


70 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


man  be  placed  upon  his  funeral  pile ; but  as  the 
widow  has  a will  of  her  own,  she  cannot  be  disposed 
of  like  the  inert  utensils.  The  Rig-veda,  therefore, 
gives  her  the  option  of  sacrificing  herself  or  not,  ac- 
cording as  she  may  or  may  not,  have  courage.  When 
the  widow  lies  on  the  funeral  pile,  it  is  presumed  that 
she  is  inclined  to  immolate  herself,  and  a verse  is 
then  addressed  to  her,  which  is  designed  to  test  her 
resolution,  and  to  induce  her  to  retire  if  she  will.” 
It  is  also  declared,  in  view  of  such  a contingency,  that 
although  the  Sati  who  retires  from  the  funeral  pile  com- 
mits a highly  sinful  act,  it  may  nevertheless  be  exjfi- 
ated  by  performing  the  Prajapatya  penance — that  is,  she 
must  for  three  days  eat  only  in  the  morning ; for  three 
days  only  in  the  evening ; for  three  days  she  must  par- 
take of  food  which  is  given  unsolicited,  and  during  the 
last  three  days  she  must  eat  nothing  at  all. 

It  is  true  that  the  Hindu  woman  was  allowed  to 
choose  between  being  burned  alive  and  leading  the  life 
of  a widow,  but  if  she  chose  the  latter,  she  was  con- 
sidered a dishonor  to  her  relatives,  and  the  disgraced 
family  lost  no  opportunity  of  visiting  penalties  upon 
the  cause  of  their  reproach.  They  made  her  life  so 
intolerable  that  in  most  instances  the  woman  preferred 
to  be  burned  alive  rather  than  lead  a life  of  contin- 
ual torture  and  disgrace.  Instances  are  also  on  rec- 
ord where  women,  horribly  burned,  have  been  driven 
by  their  agonies  from  the  funeral  pile,  only  to  be 
captured  and  thrown  back  again  by  their  loving  (?) 
relatives.  Dr.  Massie  relates  several  instances  of  this 
kind.  In  one  case  the  poor  victim  was  driven  by  her 
sufferings  from  the  flames,  upon  which  some  gentle- 


THE  VEDAS  AND  THE  SUTTEE. 


71 


men  who  were  spectators  immediately  plunged  her  into 
the  river.  She  retained  her  senses,  and  complained 
that  the  funeral  pile  was  so  badly  constructed  that  it 
burned  slowly,  and  with  wonderful  heroism  expressed 
her  willingness  to  go  back  into  the  flames  if  they 
would  change  its  construction,  so  that  her  sufferings 
would  be  sooner  at  an  end.  This  the  cruel  natives 
refused  to  do,  and  taking  their  suffering  relative  by 
the  head  and  feet  they  held  her  in  the  fire  until 
driven  away  themselves  by  the  heat,  when  they  threw 
her  into  the  blazing  pile ; but  she  again  made  her 
escape,  and  going  toward  the  river,  ran  into  the  arms 
of  a European  gentleman,  and  cried  to  him  to  save 
her.  The  writer  says  : “ I arrived  at  the  grounds  as 
they  (the  natives)  were  bringing  her  a second  time 
from  the  river,  and  I cannot  describe  to  you  the  hor- 
ror I felt  on  seeing  the  mangled  condition  she  was  in/’ 
(Here  follows  a description  too  revolting  for  repetition.) 
She  was  rescued  by  the  Europeans,  lingered  in  agony 
about  twenty  hours,  and  then  died.1 

Men  who  had  kept  at  a safe  distance  from  the  fire 
were  sometimes  very  eloquent  on  the  beauties  (?)  of 
this  ceremony.  Boyses  translates  from  a poet  of  about 
two  thousand  years  ago  the  following  eulogy  upon  the 
horrible  custom,  and  the  extract  is  quoted  by  Raja  Rad- 
hakant  Deb  in  his  celebrated  letter  to  Dr.  Wilson  : 

“ Happy  the  laws  that  in  those  climes  obtain, 

Where  the  bright  morning  reddens  all  the  main. 
There  whensoe’er  the  happy  husband  dies, 

And  on  the  funeral  couch  extended  lies. 


l Uncivilized  Races,  p,  1409. 


72 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA, 


His  faithful  wives  around  the  scene  appear, 

With  pompous  dress  and  with  triumphant  air, 

For  partnership  in  death  ambitious  strive. 

And  dread  the  shameful  fortune  to  survive. 

Adorned  with  flowers  the  lovely  victims  stand, 

With  smiles  ascend  the  pile  and  light  the  brand, 
Grasp  their  dear  partners  with  unaltered  faith. 

And  yield  exulting  to  the  fragrant  death.” 

Raja  Radhakant  Deb  also  argues  with  great  force 
that  the  custom  must  be  derived  from  Vedic  authority, 
from  the  fact  of  its  having  prevailed  in  India  in  very 
remote  times  — when  Vedic  rites  only  were  in  vogue. 
He  claims  that  it  was  practiced  during  the  lives  of 
their  early  kings  and  sages,  who  were  imbued  with 
Vedic  learning  and  devoted  to  the  observance  of  Vedic 
rituals.  It  appears,  therefore,  from  the  evidence  of 
the  best  Orientalists,  both  European  and  native,  that 
although  the  early  mythological  songs  of  the  Rig-veda 
do  not  teach  that  a living  woman  must  be  burned 
upon  the  dead  body  of  her  husband,  the  Vedic  teach- 
ers have  not  prevented  it.  The  Rig-veda  is  not  a 
ritual ; the  directions  for  performing  this  horrible  rite 
of  human  sacrifice  and  self-immolation  are  found, 
however,  in  other  ancient  and  sacred  books  of  the 
Hindus — all  of  which  are  classed  by  the  Brahmans 
under  the  general  name  of  Vedas.  Certain  it  is  that 
this  terrible  custom  prevailed  in  India  for  more  than 
two  thousand  years,  and  it  would  doubtless  be  prac- 
ticed even  now  if  that  country  had  not  been  pene- 
trated by  the  advancing  light  of  Christian  civilization. 

At  the  close  of  the  last  century  seventy  widows  were 


THE  VEDAS  AXD  THE  SUTTEE. 


73 


burned  alive  with  the  body  of  one  of  the  rajas.  When 
Lord  Wm.  Bentinck  was  appointed  Governor-General  of 
India,  he  determined  that  this  terrible  crime  should 
cease,  and  the  Hindu  dignitaries  were  astonished  by  a 
sudden  decree,  which  they  found  it  impossible  to  repeal 
or  modify.  Under  the  wise  administration  of  Lord 
Bentinck  the  suttee  was  abolished  in  1830,  and  the 
beautiful  Ganges  flowed  to  the  sea  with  her  waves  un- 
stained with  blood. 

Marshman  accuses  Prof.  Wilson  of  being  an  advocate 
of  non-interference  with  this  barbarous  rite,  but  we 
must  remember  that  we  are  indebted  to  this  very 
scholar  for  the  detection  of  the  mutilated  text,  by 
the  aid  of  which  the  natives  long  held  the  English 
government  at  bay,  under  the  promise  of  the  latter  that 
their  religion  was  not  to  be  interfered  with.  Lord 
Bentinck  and  others  who  have  been  brought  into  daily 
contact  with  the  practical  cruelty  of  this  people  are  far 
less  enthusiastic  over  the  race  than  is  the  European 
scholar  who  studies  the  finest  specimens  of  Hindu 
poetry  in  the  quiet  seclusion  of  his  own  library. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


THE  BRAHMANAS. 

THE  SECOND  GRAND  DIVISION  OF  VEDIC  LITERATURE  — 
AGE  OF  THE  BRAHMANAS — BURDEN  OF  CEREMONIES 
— PENANCE  FOR  BAD  DREAMS  — SACRIFICES  — EX- 
TRACT FROM  FOURTH  BRAHMANA — THE  STORY  OF 
SUNAHSEPA — A HUMAN  SACRIFICE  — TRADITION  OF 
THE  FLOOD  AS  FOUND  IN  SATAPATIIA-BRAHMANA. 

t I HIE  second  grand  division  of  Vedic  literature  is 
devoted  almost  entirely  to  directions  and  rules  for 
the  various  rites  and  ceremonies.  The  oldest  of  them, 
according  to  leading  Sanskrit  scholars,1  was  written 
seven  or  eight  centuries  before  Christ,  or  from  twelve 
to  fourteen  hundred  years  after  Abraham.  Their  com- 
position is  rambling  and  unsystematic,  and  full  of  repe- 
tition and  trivial  detail. 

Brahmana  means  originally  the  sayings  of  Brahmans 
or  priests.  It  is  a name  applicable  not  only  to  books, 
but  to  the  old  prose  traditions,  whether  contained  in 
the  Sanhitas,  the  Brahmanas,  the  Aranyakas,  the 
Upanishads,  or  even,  in  some  cases,  the  Sutras.  (See 
Wilson. ) At  the  conclusion  of  his  long  and  exhaustive 
labors,  Julius  Eggeling,  the  faithful  translator  of  the 
Satapatha-brahmana,  sjieaks  of  his  thankless  task  as 
follows  : “ The  translator  of  the  Satapatha-brahmana 

> Prof.  II.  H.  Wilson,  Sir  Monier  Williams,  and  others. 

74 


THE  BKAH-MANAS. 


75 


can  be  under  no  illusion  as  to  the  reception  his  pro- 
duction is  likely  to  meet  with  at  the  hand  of  the 
general  reader.  In  the  whole  range  of  literature,  few 
works  are  probably  less  calculated  to  excite  the  inter- 
est of  any,  outside  the  very  limited  number  of  special- 
ists, than  the  ancient  theological  writings  of  the  Hindus, 
known  by  the  name  of  Brahmanas.  For  wearisome  pro- 
lixity of  exposition,  characterized  by  dogmatic  asser- 
tion, and  a flimsy  symbolism,  rather  than  by  serious 
reasoning,  these  works  are  perhaps  not  equalled 
anywhere.” 

Still  they  represent  the  period  in  the  history  of  that 
country  when  the  priests  had  succeeded  in  transform- 
ing the  primitive  worship  of  the  powers  of  nature  into 
a highly  artificial  system  of  rites,  ceremonies  and  sacri- 
fices. Human  nature  appears  to  be  much  the  same 
in  all  ages  of  the  world,  and  the  Hindu  priests  did 
not  fail  to  avail  themselves  of  the  religious  instincts  of 
a naturally  devout  race  ; they  were  always  intent  upon 
deepening  their  hold  on  the  minds  of  the  people,  by 
surrounding  their  own  vocation  with  the  halo  of  sanc- 
tity and  divine  inspiration.  With  them  it  was  a mat- 
ter of  position,  of  influence,  and  of  money  to  urge  the 
necessity  of  frequent  and  liberal  offerings  to  the  gods, 
and  to  invoke  worldly  blessings  upon  the  devotee. 
The  priestly  bard  often  pleaded  his  own  cause,  as  well 
as  that  of  his  employer.  For  instance,  Kanva  sings 
in  the  Rig-veda,  “ Let  him  be  rich,  let  him  be  fore- 
most, the  bard  of  the  rich,  of  so  illustrious  a magha- 
ven,  (wealthy  patron  of  priests,)  as  thou,  0 Lord  of 
the  bay  steeds,  ” 1 


l Int.,  pp.  9-11. 


70 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Hence  the  people  were  loaded  down  with  rites  and 
ceremonies  upon  all  possible  occasions.  The  devout 
Brahman  must  have  spent  nearly  all  his  time  in  un- 
meaning rites,  penances  and  oblations.  For  instance, 
if  a man  dreams  of  being  killed  by  a black  man  with 
black  teeth,  or  of  being  killed  by  a boar,  or  if  he 
dreams  that  a monkey  jumps  upon  him,  that  the  wind 
carries  him  along  quickly,  or  that  having  swallowed  gold 
he  spits  it  out ; if  he  dreams  of  eating  honey,  of  chew- 
ing stalks,  of  carrying  a red  lotus,  of  wearing  a wreath 
of  red  flowers,  or  of  driving  a black  cow,  with  a black 
calf,  facing  the  south,  he  must  fast,  and  cook  a pot 
of  milk  and  sacrifice  it,  accompanying  each  oblation 
with  a verse  of  the  Rig-veda,  and  then,  after  having 
feasted  the  priest  (with  other  food  prepared  at  his 
house)  he  must  eat  all  of  the  oblation  himself. 

The  method  by  which  man  arrived  at  the  knowledge 
of  the  virtues  of  sacrifices  is  thus  explained  in  the 
Aitareya-brahmana. 

“ The  gods  killed  a man  for  their  victim,  but  from 
him  thus  killed  the  part  which  was  fit  for  a sacrifice 
went  out  and  entered  a horse.  Hence  the  horse  be- 
came an  animal  fit  for  being  sacrificed.  The  gods  then 
killed  the  horse,  but  the  part  that  was  fit  for  being- 
sacrificed  went  out  of  it  and  entered  a sheep.  Thence 
it  entered  a goat.  The  sacrificial  part  remained  for 
the  longest  time  in  the  goat,  then  the  goat  became 
pre-eminently  fit  for  being  sacrificed.  The  gods  went 
up  to  heaven  by  means  of  offerings.  They  were  afraid 
that  men  and  sages,  after  having  seen  their  ceremo- 
nies, might  inquire  how  they  could  obtain  some  knowl- 
edge of  sacrificial  rites,  and  follow  them.  They  there- 


THE  BRAHMAIs  AS. 


7? 


fore  debarred  them,  by  means  of  the  Yupa  (or  post  to 
which  the  victim  was  fastened),  turning  its  point  down- 
wards. Thereupon,  the  men  and  sages  dug  the  post 
out,  and  turned  its  point  upwards.  Thus  they  became 
aware  of  the  sacrifice  and  reached  the  heavenly  world.”1 

Besides  the  daily  devotional  acts,  there  were  two 
semi-monthly  sacrifices  enjoined  upon  every  Brahmani- 
cal  householder,  each  of  which  lasted  two  days.  This 
must  be  continued  during  the  first  thirty  years  of 
housekeeping,  and  according  to  some  authorities  it 
must  be  kept  up  through  life.  The  ceremonies  began 
with  a preparation  of  the  sacrificial  fires.  The  fire- 
places were  thrice  swept,  thrice  besmeared  with  gomaya, 
three  lines  being  drawn  across  them  from  west  to  east, 
or  from  south  to  north,  with  a wooden  sword,  after 
which  the  dust  was  removed  from  the  lines  with  the 
thumb  and  ring  finger,  and  the  lines  sprinkled  thrice 
with  water,  etc.  Many  pages  are  filled  with  minute 
instructions  in  relation  to  these  long  ceremonies,  and 
with  a description  of  the  vegetables  and  clarified  butter, 
which  the  Brahman  and  his  wife  were  to  eat  before 
finally  taking  a vow. 

Many  pages  are  devoted  to  the  washing  or  the 
brushing  of  the  sjwons,  and  to  the  particular  method 
of  laying  the  sacrificial  grass  upon  the  altar,  for  the 
numerous  periodical  oblations  and  for  sacrifices  in  gen- 
eral. The  instructions  in  relation  to  making  the  offer- 
ings to  Agni  (fire)  are  also  both  minute  and  multitu- 
dinous. A very  brief  extract  upon  this  subject  will 
satisfy  the  reader,  as  it  is  a fair  sample  of  the  literary 
style  of  hundreds  of  pages: 


iBook  2:  (Haug.  1-8.) 


78 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


FOURTH  BRAHMANA. 

1.  “They  (the  sticks  for  the  sacrificial  fire)  should 
be  green,  for  that  is  their  living  element — by  that 
they  are  vigorous,  by  that  possessed  of  strength,  for 
this  reason  they  should  be  green. 

2.  “The  middle  sticks  he  lays  down  first  on  the 
west  side  of  the  fire,  with  the  text  ‘ May  the  Gand- 
harva  Visvasu  lay  thee  around  for  the  security  of  the 
all.  Thou  art  a fence  to  the  sacrificer.  Thou  art 
Agni,  invoked  and  worthy  of  invocation.’ 

3.  “ lie  then  lays  down  the  southern  one,  with  the 
text  ‘ Thou  art  Indra’s  arm  for  the  security  of  the  all. 
Thou  art  a fence  to  the  sacrificer,  thou  Agni,  invoked 
and  worthy  of  invocation.’ 

4.  “He  then  lays  down  the  northern  one  with  the 
text  * May  the  Mitra  Varuna  lay  thee  around  in  the 
north  with  firm  law  for  the  security  of  the  all.  Thou 
art  a fence  to  the  sacrificer,  thou  Agni,  invoked  and 
worthy  of  invocation.’” 

Thereupon  he  puts  on  the  fire  a kindling  stick  ; he 
first  touches  with  it  the  middle  inclosing  stick ; there- 
by he  first  kindles  those  (three  Agnis).  After  that  he 
puts  it  on  the  fire — thereby  he  kindles  the  visible  fire. 

This,  however,  is  only  the  beginning  of  intermina- 
ble pages  of  description,  as  to  the  meaning  of  each 
stick,  each  motion,  and  each  mumbled  invocation  on 
the  part  of  the  sacrificer.  While  the  Brahmanas  are 
almost  exclusively  devoted  to  the  formulas  of  domestic 
sacrifice,  and  the  almost  endless  succession  of  petty 
details,  they  also  contain  some  legends  on  other 
subjects. 


THE  BRAHATAXAS.  79 

One  of  these  represents  the  gods  and  demons  in  a 
mighty  warfare,  in  which  the  evil  demons  formed  the 
earth  into  an  iron  citadel,  changed  the  air  into  a sil- 
ver fortress,  and  the  sky  into  a fort  of  gold.  Where- 
upon the  gods  said,  “We  will  build  other  worlds  in 
opposition  to  these.”  Then  they  constructed  sacrifi- 
cial palaces,  where  they  made  a triple  burnt  oblation. 
By  the  first  sacrifice  they  drove  the  demons  out  of 
their  earthly  fortresses,  by  the  second  they  expelled 
them  from  the  air,  and  by  the  third  they  routed  them 
from  the  sky.  Thus  were  the  evil  spirits  chased  by 
the  gods  in  triumph  from  the  world.1 

THE  STORY  OF  SUXAHSEPA. 

The  Aitareya-brahmana,  written  about  600  B.  C., 
contains  also  the  story  of  Sunahsepa,  in  which  the 
doctrine  of  human  sacrifice  is  introduced,  and  a father 
is  represented  as  selling  his  son  to  be  offered  to 
Varuna. 

As  the  story  goes.  King  Hariscandra  had  no  son. 
He  therefore  went  to  the  god  Varuna  and  promised 
that  deity  that  if  he  would  grant  him  a son  he  would 
sacrifice  the  child  to  him.  A son  was  then  born  to 
him  and  was  named  Roliita.  At  last  the  royal  father 
told  his  son  that  he  was  devoted  to  sacrifice  and  must 
prepare  for  it.  But  the  boy  refused  to  comply  with 
his  father’s  demands,  and  taking  his  bow  he  left  his 
home  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  forest,  whereupon 
Varuna  afflicted  the  king  with  dropsy  for  failing  to 
fulfill  his  pledge. 

After  a time  Rohita  found  in  the  forest  a half- 


! Aitareya-brah..  Haug'sEd.,  1-23. 


80 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


starved  hermit  who  had  three  sons.  The  young  prince 
purchased  one  of  the  boys  for  a hundred  cows  and 
took  him  to  his  father.  The  god  Vanina  accepted  the 
substitute,  and  the  sacrificial  post  was  made  ready;  but 
no  one  was  found  who  was  willing  to  bind  the  victim. 
The  father  of  Sunahsepa  then  came  forward  and  said: 

“‘Ctive  me  a hundred  cows  and  1 will  bind  him.' 
They  gave  them  to  him  and  he  bound  the  boy. 

But  now  no  person  would  consent  to  kill  him. 

Then  said  the  father,  ‘ Give  me  yet  again 
Another  hundred  cows  and  I will  slay  him/ 

Once  more  they  gave  him  a hundred  and  the  father 
Whetted  the  knife  to  sacrifice  his  son. 

Then  said  the  boy,  ‘ Let  me  implore  the  gods  ; 
Haply  they  will  deliver  me  from  death.’ 

So  Sunahsepa  prayed  to  all  the  gods 

With  verses  from  the  Veda,  and  they  heard  him. 

Thus  was  the  boy  released  from  sacrifice, 

And  Hariseandra  was  restored  to  health.”1 

THE  FLOOD. 

In  common  with  other  nations  and  peoples,  the  an- 
cient Hindus  possessed  their  tradition  of  a universal 
deluge.  Concerning  this  great  historic  event  the 
same  voice  comes  to  us  from  the  archives  of  Babylon, 
from  the  clay  tablets  of  old  Assyria,  from  the  hiero- 
glyphs of  Egypt,  from  the  annals  of  Greece,2  from 
the  parchments  of  China,  and  from  the  pages  of  the 

i Haug’s  Ed.,  7-13,  Williams’  trans. 

a According  to  the  Greek  tradition  of  a general  deluge,  every  living  being 
was  destroyed  except  those  who  escaped  in  a boat,  and  these  repeo- 
pled the  earth  after  the  flood  subsided,  as  in  the  traditions  of  many  other 


THE  BRAHMAXAS. 


81 


Satapatha-brahmana.  This  Indo-Aryan  tradition  of  the 
deluge,  which  has  existed  for  so  many  generations  in 
India,  represents  the  ark  as  being  saved  by  Vishnu  in 
his  character  as  a fish,  which  is  his  first  incarnation. 
It  reads  as  follows : 

“ There  lived  in  ancient  time  a holy  man 
Called  Mann,  who  by  penances  and  prayer 
Had  won  the  favor  of  the  Lord  of  heaven. 

One  day  they  brought  him  water  for  ablution; 

Then  as  he  washed  his  hands  a little  fish 
Appeared,  and  spoke  in  human  accents  thus : 

‘Take  care  of  me  and  I will  be  thy  saviour.’ 

‘ From  what  wilt  thou  preserve  me  ? ’ Manu  asked. 
The  fish  replied,  ‘ A flood  will  sweep  away 
All  creatures.  I will  rescue  thee  from  that.’ 

‘ But  how  shall  I preserve  thee  ? ’ Manu  said. 

The  fish  rejoined,  ‘So  long  as  we  are  small. 

We  are  in  constant  danger  of  destruction. 

For  fish  eat  fish.  So  keep  me  in  a jar ; 

When  I outgrow  the  jar,  then  dig  a trench 
And  place  me  there ; when  I outgrow  the  trench. 
Then  take  me  to  the  ocean  ; I shall  then 
Be  out  of  reach  of  danger.’  Having  thus 
Instructed  Manu,  straightway  rapidly 
The  fish  grew  larger.  Then  he  spoke  again, 

‘ In  such  and  such  a year  the  flood  will  come ; 
Therefore  construct  a ship  and  pay  me  homage ; 
When  the  flood  rises  enter  thou  the  ship 

nations.  The  principal  personage  thus  saved,  according  to  Greek  tradition, 
was  Deukalion,  the  ruler  of  Thessaly  and  the  son  of  Prometheus.  His  father 
had  told  him  to  build  a ship  and  furnish  it  with  provisions,  and  when  the 
flood  came  he  and  his  wife  Pyrrha  were  the  only  people  who  escaped. — Sci. 
of  Eel.,  p.  63. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


And  I will  rescue  thee.’  So  Manu  did 
As  he  was  ordered,  and  preserved  the  fish. 

Then  carried  it  in  safety  to  the  ocean. 

And  in  the  very  year  the  fish  enjoined 
He  built  a ship,  and  paid  the  fish  respect. 

And  there  took  refuge  when  the  flood  arose. 

Soon  near  him  swam  the  fish,  and  to  its  horn 
Manu  made  fast  the  cable  of  his  vessel. 

Thus  drawn  along  the  waters,  Manu  passed 
Beyond  the  northern  mountain ; then  the  fish 
Addressing  Manu  said,  ‘ I have  preserved  thee. 
Quickly  attach  the  ship  to  yonder  tree, 

But  lest  the  waters  sink  from  under  thee, 

As  fast  as  they  subside,  so  fast  shalt  thou 
Descend  the  mountain  gently  after  them.’ 

Thus  he  descended  from  the  northern  mountain. 

The  flood  had  swept  away  all  living  creatures ; 
Manu  was  left  alone.  Wishing  for  offspring, 

He  earnestly  performed  a sacrifice. 

In  a year’s  time  a female  was  produced ; 

She  came  to  Manu,  then  he  said  to  her, 

‘Who  art  thou?’  She  replied,  ‘I  am  thy  daughter.’ 
He  said,  ‘ How,  lovely  lady,  can  that  be  ? ’ 

‘I  came  forth,’  she  rejoined,  ‘from  thine  oblations 
Cast  upon  the  waters ; thou  wilt  find  in  me 
A blessing ; use  me  in  the  sacrifice.’ 

With  her  he  worshiped,  and  with  toilsome  zeal 
Performed  religious  rites,  hoping  for  offspring. 

Thus  were  created  men  called  sons  of  Manu. 

Whatever  benediction  he  implored 

With  her,  was  thus  vouchsafed  in  full  abundance.”1 

l Williams’  trails.,  Iud.  Wis„  p.  32. 


THE  BRAHMAXAS. 


83 


This  legend  in  the  Satapatha-brahmana  is  after- 
wards repeated  in  the  Maha-bharata.  The  Brahmanas 
have  more  allusions  to  a future  life,  and  contain  stronger 
statements  on  that  subject  than  can  be  found  in  the 
earlier  vein  of  Hindu  literature,  but  the  doctrine  of 
the  transmigration  of  souls  appears  not  to  be  fully  de- 
veloped until  we  reached  the  Code  of  Manu  and  the 
Upanishads, 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  CODE  OF  MANU. 


THE  DATE  OF  THE  CODE  — THE  TRIBE  OR  SCHOOL  OF 
MANAVAS — THE  CODE  A MEANS  OF  PERPETUATING 
THE  RULES  OF  CASTE — DIVINE  ORIGIN  CLAIMED  FOR 
THE  LAWS  OF  MANU  — CASTE  — DIVINE  RIGHTS  OF 
BRAHMANS  — THE  KSHATRIYA — THE  VAISYA  — THE 
SUDRA  — MARRIAGE  A PURIFYING  RITE  — RULES  FOR 
CHOOSING  A WIFE  — MARRIAGE — WOMAN’S  RIGHTS 
— PENANCES  — CRIMINAL  CODE  — FUNERAL  CERE- 
MONIES. 

NTIMATELY  connected  with  the  ceremonies  of  the 


Vedas,  we  find  the  Code  of  Mann,  which  in  its  present 
form  dates  back  to  about  the  fifth  century  before  Christ. 
Some  parts  of  it  were  doubtless  current  at  a considerably 
earlier  date,  as  the  gods  mentioned  are  principally  Vedic. 
Originally,  it  merely  represented  certain  rules  and  precepts, 
probably  by  different  authors,  which  were  observed  by  a 
particular  tribe  or  school  of  Brahmans  called  Manavas. 
This  tribe  appears  to  have  been  adherents  of  the  Black 
Yajur-veda,  and  their  Mantras  and  Brahmana  are  still 
extant.  Ultimately,  however,  the  code  was  accepted  by 
the  Hindu  people  generally,  and  received  a reverence 
which  was  second  only  to  that  which  was  accorded  to 
the  Vedas.  It  became  also  the  chief  authority  in 
Hindu  jurisprudence. 


84 


THE  CODE  OF  MANU. 


85 


The  Laws  of  Mann  plainly  reveal  the  strenuous  rules  by 
which  the  Brahmans  sought  to  perpetuate  an  organized 
system  of  caste  which  should  definitely  define  and  main- 
tain their  own  superiority.  They  were  drawn  largely 
from  earlier  authorities,  but  the  real  compiler  and  pro- 
mulgator of  them  is  unknown.  In  common  with  other 
Hindu  works,  the  code  claims  a divine  origin. 

A sage  named  Mann  is  represented  as  saying:  “ The 

god  Brahma  having  formed  this  system  of  laws  himself, 
taught  it  fully  to  me  in  the  beginning.  I then  taught  it 
to  Marici  and  the  nine  other  sages,  my  offspring.  Of 
these  (my  sons)  Blirigu  is  deputed  by  me  to  declare  the 
code  to  you  (Rishis),  for  he  has  learned  from  me  to  recite 
the  whole  of  it.” 1 


CASTE. 

The  Hindu  theory  of  caste  is  that  the  gods  created  one 
class  of  men  superior  to  another — that  there  is  as  much 
difference  between  the  various  classes  of  men  as  between 
the  different  kinds  of  birds  and  animals.  The  creation  of 
this  great  distinction  is  thus  accounted  for  in  one  of  the 
latest  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda: 2 

“ The  embodied  spirit  has  a thousand  heads, 

A thousand  eyes,  a thousand  feet  around 
On  every  side  enveloping  the  earth. 

Yet  filling  space  no  larger  than  a span. 

He  is  himself  this  very  universe. 

He  is,  whatever  is,  has  been  and  shall  be. 

He  is  the  Lord  of  Immortality. 

1 Ind.  Wis.,  pp.  212-215. 

2 As  the  whole  of  this  celebrated  hymn  has  been  given  in  the  first  chapter 
a brief  quotation  here  will  suffice. 


86 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


“ How  did  they  cut  him  up?  What  was  his  mouth? 
What  were  his  arms?  and  what  his  thighs  and  feet? 
The  Brahman  was  his  mouth — the  kingly  soldier 
Was  made  his  arms,  the  husbandman  his  thighs, 

The  servile  Sudra1  issued  from  his  feet.”2 

Hence,  the  divine  order  of  caste  seems  to  be : 

1.  The  Brahman,  who  is  supposed  to  issue  from  the 
mouth  of  Brahma. 

2.  Kshatriya,  or  “kingly  soldier,”  who  issues  from 
the  arms. 

3.  The  husbandman,  or  Yaisya  caste,  who  comes  from 
the  thighs. 

4.  The  servile  Sudra,  who  issues  from  his  feet. 

It  is  therefore  claimed  that  the  divine  right  of  kings 
is  emphasized  and  exaggerated  in  the  divine  right  of 
priests;  that  a Brahman  is  such  by  virtue  of  his  birth; 
and  that  he  was  created  with  special  reference  to  his  po- 
sition as  the  head  of  all  mankind. 

It  is  said  that  “Since  the  Brahman  sprang  from 
the  most  excellent  part  (the  mouth  of  Brahma),  since 
he  has  the  priority  arising  from  primogeniture,  and 
since  he  possesses  the  Veda,  he  is  by  right  the  Lord 
of  this  whole  creation,”  and  again,  “Even  when  Brah- 
mans employ  themselves  in  all  sorts  of  inferior  occu- 
pations, they  must  under  all  circumstances  be  honored, 
for  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  supreme  divinities.” 
“From  his  high  birth  alone,  a Brahman  is  regarded 
as  a divinity,  even  by  the  gods.  His  teaching  must 
be  accepted  by  the  rest  of  the  world  as  an  infallible 
authority.” 


Slave  or  lowest  caste. 


* See  Man.  10-90,  William:.’  trans. 


THE  CODE  OF  MANTT. 


8? 


He  is  also  declared  to  possess  power  which  is  in  per- 
fect harmony  with  his  divine  position  and  character. 
In  Book  9,  pp.  813-314,  it  is  said,  “Let  not  a king, 
although  fallen  into  the  greatest  distress,  provoke  Brah- 
mans to  anger  (by  taking  revenue  from  them),  for  they, 
if  once  enraged,  could  instantly  (by  pronouncing  curses 
and  mystical  texts)  destroy  him  with  all  his  army  and 
retinue.”1 

THE  KSHATRIYA, 

or  military  and  kingly  caste,  ranked  next  to  the  Brah- 
mans in  position  and  influence.  They  introduced  into 
India  the  scepticisms  of  philosophical  speculation,  but 
with  the  natural  adhesiveness  peculiar  to  monopolies, 
Brahmanism  and  rationalism  soon  made  a compromise  to 
the  effect  that  however  inconsistent  with  each  other, 
neither  should  denounce  the  other  as  a false  guide,  and 
thereafter  they  co-operated  with  each  other  in  retaining 
their  ascendency  over  the  lower  classes. 

THE  VAISYA, 

or  agricultural  class,  forms  the  third  rank,  an  1 they,  as 
well  as  the  Brahmans  and  Kshatriyas,  claim  to  be  “ twice 
born.” 

THE  SUDRA, 

or  servile  class,  is  only  once  born,  and  forms  the  low- 
est rank.  But  they  are  just  as  particular  as  their  supe- 
riors to  retain  their  proper  position  and  caste.  They 
would  not  intermarry  with  a higher  order,  and  if  they 
oid  their  children  would  not  be  even  Sudras.  All  the 
rules  of  caste  are  sacred  as  ordinances  of  their  religion ; 


i Ind.  Wis.,  pp.  240,  241. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


hence,  the  man  who  dresses  hair  would  not  clean  clothes, 
neither  could  a table  waiter  be  induced  to  carry  an 
umbrella.1 

MARRIAGE  OF  A BRAHMAN. 

The  most  elaborate  and  tedious  details  are  given  for 
the  endless  ceremonies  connected  with  all  the  minutiae 
of  a Brahman’s  life.  Sometimes  a great  sacrifice  lasts 
for  weeks  or  months,  or  even  years.  The  ceremonies 
and  purifications  connected  with  his  student  life  are  as 
long  as  his  course  of  study,  which  comprises  a knowl- 
edge of  the  three  Vedas.  He  must  go  through  twelve 
“ purificatory  rites,”  and  it  is  a noticeable  fact  that 
the  last  of  these  is  marriage,  which  is,  in  the  language 
of  Williams,  “a  religious  duty,  incumbent  upon  all 
completing  the  purification  and  regeneration  of  the 
twice  born.” 

He  also  receives  explicit  directions  in  relation  to 

THE  CHOICE  OF  A WIFE, 
in  the  following  words; 

“Let  him  not  marry  a girl  with  reddish  hair,  nor 
one  with  a superfluity  of  limbs  (as,  for  instance,  one 
with  six  fingers),  nor  one  who  is  sickly,  nor  one  with 
either  too  little  or  too  much  hair ; nor  one  who  talks 
too  much ; nor  one  who  is  red-eyed ; nor  one  named 
after  a constellation,  a tree,  or  a river ; nor  one  with  a 
barbarous  name,  or  the  name  of  a mountain,  a bird,  a 
snake,  a slave,  or  any  frightful  object.  But  let  him 
marry  a woman  without  defective  or  deformed  limbs, 
having  an  agreeable  name,  whose  gait  is  like  that  of  a 


i Ind.  Wis.,  XXV. 


THE  CODE  OF  MANU. 


89 


flamingo  or  elephant,  whose  teeth  and  hair  are  moderate 
in  quantity,  and  whose  whole  body  is  soft.”1 

The  marriage  rites  in  Mauu’s  Code  are  evidently 
taken  from  older  works.  The  following  is  quoted  by 
Prof.  Williams  as  the 

MARRIAGE  CEREMONY. 

“West  of  the  sacred  fire  a stone  is  placed,  and 
northeast  a water  jar.  The  bridegroom  offers  an  obla- 
tion standing,  looking  toward  the  west,  and  taking 
hold  of  the  bride’s  hands,  while  she  sits  and  looks 
toward  the  east.  If  he  wishes  only  for  sons,  he  clasps 
her  thumbs,  and  says,  ‘I  clasp  thy  hands  for  the  sake 
of  good  fortune;’  the  fingers  alone  if  he  wishes  for 
daughters ; the  hairy  side  of  the  hand,  along  with  the 
thumbs,  if  he  wishes  for  both  sons  and  daughters. 
Then,  whilst  he  leads  her  toward  the  right  three  times 
around  the  fire  and  around  the  water  jar,  he  says  in 
a low  tone,  ‘ I am  he,  thou  art  she ; thou  art  she,  I 
am  he.  I am  the  heaven,  thou  art  the  earth.  Come, 
let  us  marry;  let  us  possess  offspring.  United  in  affec- 
tion, illustrious,  well  disposed  toward  each  other,  let 
us  live  a hundred  years.’  Every  time  he  leads  her 
around,  he  makes  her  ascend  the  mill-stone,  and  says, 
‘ Ascend  thou  this  stone — be  thou  firm  as  a stone.’ 
Then  the  bride’s  brother,  after  spreading  melted  butter 
on  the  joined  palms  of  her  hands,  scatters  parched 
grains  of  rice  on  them  twice  and  after  pouring  the 
oblation  of  butter  on  the  fire,  some  Vedic  texts  are  re- 
cited. Then  the  bridegroom  loosens  the  two  braided 
tresses  of  hair — one  on  each  side  of  the  top  of  the 


i Book  3,  3-10. 


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bride’s  head — repeating  the  Vedic  text,  ‘ I loose  thee 
from  the  fetters  of  Vanina,  with  which  the  very  aus- 
picious Savitri  has  bound  thee.’  He  now  causes  her 
to  step  seven  steps  towards  the  northeast  quarter,  say- 
ing to  her,  ‘ Take  thou  one  step  for  the  acquirement 
of  sap-like  energy ; take  thou  two  steps  for  strength  ; 
take  thou  three  steps  for  the  increase  of  wealth;  take 
thou  four  steps  for  well  being ; take  thou  five  steps 
for  otfspring ; take  thou  six  steps  for  the  season ; take 
thou  seven  steps  as  a friend.  Be  faithfully  devoted  to 
me.  May  we  obtain  many  sons ; may  they  attain  to 
a good  old  age.’  Then  bringing  both  their  heads  into 
close  juxtaposition,  some  one  sprinkles  them  with  water 
from  the  jar.  lie  should  remain  for  that  night  in  the 
house  of  an  old  Brahman  woman  whose  husband  and 
children  are  alive.  When  the  bride  sees  the  polar 
star  and  Arundhati  and  the  seven  Rishis,  let  her  break 
silence  and  say,  ‘May  my  husband  live,  and  may  I 
obtain  children.’  When  he  (the  bridegroom)  has  com- 
pleted the  marriage  ceremonial,  he  should  give  the 
bride’s  dress  to  one  who  knows  the  Surya-sukta,  and 
food  to  the  Brahmans.  Then  he  should  make  them 
pronounce  a blessing  upon  him.” 

The  marriage  ceremony  once  completed,  the  bride- 
groom at  once  enters  upon  the  endless  round  of  cere- 
monies which  are  enjoined  upon  the  householder — the 
sacred  fire,  the  daily  ablutions,  etc.,  etc.  Five  chap- 
ters are  devoted  to  domestic  ceremonies  connected  with 
the  birth  and  treatment  of  children,  and  still  others 
to  the  investiture  with  the  sacred  thread,  which 
the  Brahman  child  receives  in  his  eighth  year,  the 
Kshatriya,  in  his  eleventh,  and  the  Vaisya  in  his  twelfth. 


THE  CODE  OF  MANU. 


91 


As  this  rite  is  supposed  to  confer  the  second  or  spiritual 
birth,  the  Sudra  child  does  not  receive  it  at  all,  only 
the  three  upper  classes  being  “twice  born.”1 

woman’s  rights. 

So  far  as  the  woman’s  position  in  the  household  is 
concerned,  it  is  one  of  complete  subordination  to  the 
will  of  the  “lord  of  the  manor.”  Still,  great  respect 
is  paid  to  the  mother  by  her  children,  and  it  is 
claimed  that  the  seclusion  of  Hindu  wives  was  largely 
the  result  of  the  introduction  of  Moslem  customs, 
when  the  Mohammedans  invaded  India.  The  following 
extracts  will  give  an  intelligible  idea  of  the  Hindu  law 
upon  this  point : 

“Day  and  night  must  women  be  made  to  feel  their 
dependence  on  their  husbands.  But  if  they  are  fond 
of  worldly  amusements,  let  them  be  allowed  to  follow 
their  own  inclinations.”2 

“Let  not  a husband  eat  with  his  wife,  nor  look  at 
her  eating.”3 

“Women  have  no  business  to  repeat  texts  of  the 
Veda — thus  is  the  law  established.” 

“Domestic  rites  are  to  be  performed  in  common 
with  the  wife — so  it  is  ordained  in  the  Veda.”4 

“As  far  as  a wife  obeys  her  husband,  so  far  is  she 
exalted  in  heaven.  A husband  must  be  continually 
revered  as  a god  by  a virtuous  wife.”5 

With  the  lapse  of  time  civilization  appears  to  be 
having  some  effect  upon  the  unmitigated  despotism  of 

1 Book  1,  7.  3 Book  4,  4-3.  5 Book  5,  154-160. 

2 Book  9,  2.  4 Book  9,  18-96, 


02 


THE  ANCIENT  15'OOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  Hindu  householder  towards  his  wife.  The  Maha- 
bharata,  some  parts  of  which  it  is  claimed  were  written 
during  the  Christian  era,  contains  the  following  tribute 
to  the  faithful  wife : 

“ A wife  is  half  the  man,  his  truest  friend. 

A loving  wife  is  a perpetual  spring 
Of  virtue,  pleasure,  wealth.  A faithful  wife 
Is  his  best  aid  in  seeking  heavenly  bliss. 

A sweetly  speaking  wife  is  a companion 
In  solitude ; a father  in  advice ; 

A mother  in  all  seasons  of  distress ; 

A rest  in  passing  through  life's  wilderness.”1 

That  such  sentiments  live  upon  the  pages  of  their 
own  sacred  literature  must  be  a great  source  of  strength 
to  the  missionaries  who  are  trying  to  educate  and  ele- 
vate the  womanhood  of  India.  Still,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, that  it  is  only  in  countries  which  are  illumined 
by  the  teachings  of  Christianity  that  woman  takes 
her  true  position  at  her  husband’s  side,  and  works 
with  him  for  the  elevation  of  the  human  race. 

PENANCES. 

Lying  is  pronounced  sometimes  justifiable : “ In 

certain  cases  a man  stating  a fact  falsely  from  a pious 
motive,  even  though  he  knows  the  truth,  is  not  excluded 
from  heaven — such  a statement  they  call  divine  speech.” 
Yet  severe  penances  are  required  for  trivial  sins  of 
omission,  or  for  the  performance  of  any  act  causing 
loss  of  caste. 

If  a Brahman  receives  a present  from  a wicked  per- 

i Maha.  I,  302S,  William's  trans. 


THE  CODE  OF  MANU. 


93 


son,  he  must  repeat  the  Savitrl1  “ three  thousand  times, 
with  a collected  mind,”  and  drink  milk  for  one  month  in 
a cow  house.  If  he  has  eaten  improper  food,  he  is 
absolved  by  repeating  for  three  days  certain  texts  in 
the  Rig-veda.  If  a twice-born  man,  through  infatua- 
tion, should  drink  intoxicating  liquor,  he  might  drink 
of  the  same  liquor  boiling  hot,  and  if  his  body  is  com- 
pletely scalded  by  the  process  he  is  absolved  from 
guilt. 

“ A Brahman  performing  the  penance  called  hot 
and  severe,  must  swallow  hot  water,  hot  milk,  hot 
clarified  butter,  and  hot  air,  each  for  three  days  suc- 
cessively, after  bathing,  and  keeping  his  organs  of  sense 
all  restrained.”2 

Many  others  are  prescribed,  some  of  them  being  of 
the  most  loathsome  nature,  and  entirely  unfit  for  pub- 
lication ; for  instance,  the  penance  called  Santapana.3 

CRIMINAL  CODE. 

The  civil  and  religious  code  is  strangely  combined 
in  the  laws  of  Manu.  Sometimes  the  criminal  seems 
to  be  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a purely  civil  law,  and 
again  he  is  threatened  with  the  most  terrible  punish- 
ments in  various  forms,  through  which  his  soul  must 
pass  after  leaving  the  body. 

As  future  punishment  will  be  treated  in  its  proper 
place,  under  the  doctrinal  teachings  of  the  Upanishads, 
we  distinguish  here  between  the  civil  punishment  bestowed 
upon  the  criminal,  and  that  with  which  he  is  threatened 

1 A sacred  text  which  is  said  to  have  been  milked  out  of  the  Vedas. 

2 Book  II,  214.  3 Book  II,  212. 


04 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


in  the  world  to  come.  Sir  Wm.  Jones  says  that  “The 
cruel  mutilations  practiced  by  the  native  powers  are 
shocking  to  humanity/’  and  Sir  Monier  Williams  de- 
clares that  “ The  three  most  conspicuous  features  of 
Manu’s  penal  laws  were  severity,  inconsistency,  and  a 
belief  in  the  supposed  justice  of  lex  talionis.”  This 
learned  Orientalist  made  a careful  study  of  this  partic- 
ular form  of  legislation,  and  to  him  we  are  indebted 
for  much  valuable  information.  In  the  light  of  the  fol- 
lowing extracts,  we  cannot  wonder  that  he  considered 
the  “punishment  unjustifiably  disproportionate  to  the 
offences  committed,  and  sometimes  barbarously  cruel.” 

“ With  whatever  member  of  the  body  a low-born 
man  may  injure  a superior,  that  very  member  of  his 
body  must  be  mutilated.”  1 

“ A once-born  man  insulting  twice-born  men  with 
abusive  language  must  have  his  tongue  cut  out.” 

“ Should  he  mention  their  name  and  caste  with  in- 
sulting expressions,  a red-hot  iron  spike,  ten  fingers 
long,  is  to  be  thrust  into  his  mouth.” 

“ Thieves  are  to  have  their  hands  cut  off,  and  then 
to  be  impaled  on  a sharp  stick.”2 

“A  goldsmith  detected  in  committing  frauds  is  to 
have  his  body  cut  to  pieces  with  razors.”3 

We  can  hardly  imagine  any  form  of  humanity  suffi- 
ciently low  and  cruel  to  inflict  these  horrible  punish- 
ments, even  upon  the  vilest  of  criminals,  neither  could 
the  legal  student  believe  that  such  enactments  had 
ever  been  made,  if  they  were  not  actually  present  in 
the  record. 


i Book  VIII,  279. 


2 Book  IX,  276. 


3 Book  IX,  292. 


THE  CODE  OF  MAKE. 


95 


FUNERAL  CEREMONIES. 

The  rules  for  disposing  of  the  dead  were  evidently 
derived  from  the  Grihya-sutras,  an  authority  on  domes- 
tic rites,  which  was  extant  in  India  before  the  laws  of 
Manu  were  compiled.  The  most  explicit  directions 
are  given  as  to  the  washing  of  the  body,  the  trimming 
of  the  nails,  hair,  and  beard.  It  is  enjoined  also  that 
a piece  of  ground  must  be  dug  southeast  or  southwest 
of  the  place  where  the  man  lived  and  died.  It 
should  be  in  length  as  long  as  the  man  with  his 
arms  raised,  a fathom  wide,  and  a span  in  depth. 

The  burning  and  burying  ground  should  be  open 
on  all  sides,  rich  in  shrubs,  particularly  of  thorny  and 
milky  plants,  and  elevated  in  such  a manner  that 
water  would  run  down  on  every  side.  If  the  deceased 
happened  to  die  in  the  midst  of  a sacrifice  (which  is 
very  liable  to  be  the  case  among  a people  the  greater 
part  of  whose  time  is  occupied  with  religious  ceremo- 
nies), his  relations  take  his  three  sacred  fires  and  his 
sacrificial  implements  and  carry  them  to  the  place  of 
cremation.  Behind  follow  the  old  men,  without  their 
wives,  carrying  the  corpse.  Their  number  should  not 
be  even.  In  some  places,  however,  the  corpse  is  car- 
ried on  a wheel  cart,  drawn  by  an  ox  or  some  other 
animal.  Either  a cow  or  a black  kid,  or  a kid  of 
any  one  color,  is  led  behind  by  a rope  tied  to  its  left 
leg.  This  animal  is  to  be  slain  and  afterwards  strewn 
over  the  corpse  and  burnt  with  it. 

After  the  procession  has  reached  the  ground,  he  who 
has  to  perform  the  sacrifice  steps  forth,  walks  three 
times  around  the  place  towards  the  left,  sprinkles  it 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


with  water  from  the  branch  of  a tree,  and  repeats  a 
verse  from  the  Veda. 

The  fires  are  placed  on  the  borders  of  a pit,  accord- 
ing to  the  following  formula : The  Ahavaniya  fire 

is  placed  to  the  southeast,  the  Garhapatya  to  the 
northwest  and  the  Dakshina  to  the  southwest.  The 
dead  body  must  be  placed  with  its  feet  toward  the 
Garhapatya  fire  and  the  head  towards  the  Ahavaniya. 
If  the  Ahavaniya  fire  reaches  the  dead  man  first,  his 
spirit  is  borne  to  heaven ; if  the  Garhapatya  reaches 
him  first,  then  his  spirit  is  taken  to  the  middle  region ; 
if  the  Dakshina,  then  it  remains  in  the  world  of  mor- 
tals. When  all  three  of  these  fires  reach  him  at  the 
same  time,  it  is  the  most  auspicious  omen  of  all.  The 
wooden  pile  is  properly  laid  in  the  midst  of  these 
fires,  sacrificial  grass  is  then  strewn  upon  the  pile,  and 
the  skin  of  a black  antelope,  with  the  fur  on  the  out- 
side, is  placed  over  it.  The  wife  is  made  to  lie  down 
to  the  north  of  her  husband,  and  if  he  be  a Kshatriya, 
a bone  is  also  placed  there.  If  the  wife  is  not  to  be 
immolated,  she  is  then  led  away,  and  the  animal  is 
brought.  The  fat  of  the  animal  is  cut  out,  and  put 
like  a cover  over  the  face  of  the  dead,  while  the  fol- 
lowing verse  from  the  I\ig-veda  is  recited  : 

“ Put  on  this  armor  (taken)  from  the  cows  to  pro- 
tect thee  against  Agni,  and  cover  thyself  with  fat, 
that  he,  the  wild  one,  who  delights  in  flames,  the 
hero,  may  not  embrace  thee,  wishing  to  consume 
thee.”  1 

The  kidneys,  also,  are  taken  out  and  put  into  the 


l K-v.  8.  16-17. 


THE  CODE  OF  JIANU. 


9? 


hands  of  the  dead,  while  the  following  quotation  is  re- 
peated: “Escape  on  the  right  path  the  two  dogs,  the 

four-eyed,  tawny  breed  of  Sarama,  then  approach  the 
wise  fathers,  who,  happy  with  Yama,  enjoy  happiness.”1 

The  heart  of  the  animal  is  laid  on  the  heart  of  the 
corpse,  and  after  considerable  ceremony  the  antelope 
skin  is  covered  over  the  whole  and  various  oblations 
are  offered,  each  accompanied  with  a text  from  the 
Veda.  After  this  the  fire  is  lighted,  and  they  walk 
away  without  looking  back,  at  the  same  time  reciting  a 
verse  from  the  Veda. 

This  is  the  briefest  possible  sketch  of  an  almost  in- 
terminable ceremony,  after  which  all  parties  concerned 
must  go  through  with  the  long  ceremonies  of  purifica- 
tion. The  ashes  and  bones  are  gathered  and  buried, 
with  as  much  ceremony  as  attended  the  burning,  and 
again  all  parties  must  go  through  the  process  of  purifi- 
cation. The  medical  advice  is  equally  complicated,  and 
the  patient  is  compelled  to  perform  for  himself  the  most 
exhaustive  rites;  if  he  recovers,  there  are  a multitude 
of  sacrifices  and  oblations  demanded  of  him.  Thus  the 
whole  life  of  the  patient  Hindu,  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  is  burdened  with  ceaseless  rites  and  offerings  to 
the  various  gods  of  the  pantheon. _ 

The  extracts  here  given  will  serve  to  give  an  intelli- 
gible idea  of  the  voluminous  law  books  of  Manu,  about 
twenty  of  which  are  still  in  existence.  This  collection 
of  laws  is  one  of  the  most  sacred  portions  of  Sanskrit 
literature.  It  presents  an  early  picture  of  the  moral 
and  intellectual  condition  of  the  people,  fully  illustrat- 
ing the  severity  with  which  the  priestly  class  enforced 


1R.-V,  10.  10-14. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  rules  of  caste,  and  their  own  superiority  even  over 
kings  and  princes. 

It  is  a compilation  of  rules  which  had  been  handed 
down  orally,  perhaps  for  many  generations,  and  were  at 
last  gathered  and  arranged  in  a systematic  collection. 
They  soon  reached  a position  where  they  were  held  to  be 
infallible,  and  Mann  says,  “By  Sruti  is  meant  the  Veda, 
and  by  Smriti  the  books  of  the  law;  the  contents  of  these 
must  never  he  questioned  hy  reason .”  “Nevertheless,” 
says  Williams,  “in  almost  every  place  where  the  Man- 
tras of  the  Rig-veda  are  alluded  to  by  Manu,  errors 
disfigure  the  text  and  commentary.” 


CHAPTER  VIL 


THE  UPANISHADS. 

THE  THIRD  GRAND  DIVISION  OF  VEDIC  LITERATURE  — 
THE  UPANISHADS  — THE  DOCTRINAL  PORTION  OF  THE 
VEDA — DERIVATION — RAMMOHUN  ROY  — NUMBER  OF 
THE  UPANISHADS  — PLACE  IN  VEDIC  CHRONOLOGY 
— SRUTI  OR  REVEALED  KNOWLEDGE  — CHANDOGYA 
UPANISHAD  — IMPORTANCE  OF  OM  — EXTRACTS  FROM 
THE  CHANDOGYA  — THE  KENA  UPANISHAD  — EX- 
TRACT FROM  THE  KENA  - — THE  KATHA  UPANISHAD  — 
THE  AITAREYA  UPANISHAD  — EXTRACT  FROM  THE 
AITAREYA  — THE  KAUSHITAKI-BRAHMAN  A UPANI- 
SHAD— DISCOURSE  UPON  FUTURE  LIFE  — THE  VAJ- 
ASANEYI-SAmHITA  UPANISHAD  — EXTRACT  FROM  THE 
VAJASANEYI  — THE  ISA  — THE  COMPLETION  OF  REV- 
ELATION. 

WE  now  come  to  the  third  grand  division  of  the 
Vedas,  called  the  Upanishads  or  mystical  doc- 
trine. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  earliest  hymns  of  the  Vedas 
are  mostly  in  praise  of  the  various  gods  of  the  earth, 
sky,  or  air,  and  include  invocations  to  their  deities  for 
food,  rich  herds,  large  families,  and  long  life,  for  which 
blessings  the  gods  are  to  be  rewarded  with  sacrifices 
and  oblations  of  clarified  butter,  or  of  the  soma  juice, 

09 


100 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


offered  in  their  sacred  groves.1  The  speculative,  or  the- 
ological portion  of  the  Vedas  is  explained  in  separate 
books,  called  Upanishads.  These  are  therefore  the  doc- 
trinal portions  of  the  Vedas. 

This  word,  derived  from  the  root  sad  (to  sit), 
preceded  by  the  two  prepositions  ni  (down)  and  upa 
(near),  expresses  the  idea  of  a number  of  pupils  sit- 
ting down  near  their  teacher  to  listen  to  his  instruc- 
tions. It  also  implies  something  which  underlies  the 
surface,  and  the  doctrine  contained  in  these  treatises 
does,  in  fact,  underlie  the  whole  system  of  Hindu 
teaching. 

These  books  are  of  later  origin  than  the  Rig- 
veda,2  but  they  were  called  by  Eammolnin  Roy,  “the 
kernel  of  the  Vedas.”  This  distinguished  native 
scholar  translated  several  of  the  books  at  his  own 
expense. 

The  number  of  Upanishads  has  been  variously  es- 
timated, but  a list  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  has 
been  obtained  by  Europeans,  many  of  them  bearing  dis- 
tinctive titles,  which  are  almost  unpronounceable  by 
any  one  except  the  natives. 

1 The  worship  of  Baal  consisted  of  the  planting  of  groves,  and  of 
offerings  to  the  sun  and  moon,  and  all  the  host  of  heaven;  this  was 
the  form  of  idolatry  for  which  the  children  of  Israel  were  repeatedly 
punished.  “The  children  gather  wood,  and  the  fathers  kindle  the  fire, 
and  the  women  knead  their  dough  to  make  cakes  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven, 
and  to  pour  out  drink  offerings  unto  other  gods.” — Jer.  vii:  18.  The 
great  difference  between  the  Sabeanism  of  the  Chaldeans  and  that  of  the 
Hindus  is  that  the  Chaldeans  made  the  stars  prominent  in  their  worship, 
while  the  Hindus  adored  principally  the  sun  and  moon. 

2 Prof.  Wilson,  Dr.  Will,  and  other  Orientalists  at  last  succeeded  in  con- 
vincing the  most  learned  natives  that  the  Upanishads  belonged  to  a later 
age  than  the  early  hymns  of  the  Veda.  This  is  only  one  of  many  in- 
stances in  which  European  scholars  have  been  able  to  give  information 
to  the  Hindus  concerning  their  own  sacred  books. 


THE  UPA  NISH  ADS. 


101 


AGE  OF  THE  UPANISHADS. 

According  to  the  chronology  usually  received  by 
Sanskrit  scholars,  the  most  ancient  of  these  books 
must  have  slightly  preceded  the  rise  of  Buddhism  (000 

B.  C.).  Sir  Monier  Williams,  however,  assigns  500  B. 

C.  as  the  utmost  limit  of  their  antiquity.  But,  accord- 
ing to  Max  Muller,  the  germs  of  the  doctrines  taught 
in  the  Upanishads  may  be  found  in  the  early  period  of 
Vedic  literature,  which  has  been  provisionally  fixed  at 
from  800  to  1000  B.  0. 

There  are  many  whose  exact  chronology  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  determine,  although  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
they  belong  to  very  different  periods  of  Hindu  thought, 
and  some  of  them  must  be  quite  modern,  as  mention 
is  even  made  of  an  Allah  Upanishad. 

Several  Upanishads  occur  in  the  later  Brahmanas, 
but  the  recognized  place  for  the  most  ancient  of  these 
works  is  in  connection  with  the  Aranyakas1  (or  forest 
books),  which  generally  form  an  appendix  to  the 
Brahmanas,  but  are  also  sometimes  included  under  the 
general  name  of  Brahmana. 

The  Upanishads  belong  to  what  the  Hindus  call  the 
Sruti,  or  revealed  literature,  in  opposition  to  Smriti,  or 
traditional  literature,  which  is  supposed  to  be  founded 
upon  the  former,  and  therefore  can  claim  only  a second- 
ary importance  and  authority.  The  first  in  the  list  is 

THE  CHAN  DOG  YA  UPANISHAD.2 

This  work  belongs  to  the  Sama-veda,  and  is  one  of 

1 These  works,  as  well  as  the  Upanishads,  are  so  obscure  that  it  is  said  to 
be  necessary  to  read  them  in  the  loneliness  of  the  forest. 

2 Prof.  Max  Muller,  the  translator,  gives  “AViandogya”  as  the  orthog 
raphy  of  this  Upanishad  and  this  is  of  course  absolutely  correct,  but,  if 


102 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  most  important  contributions  to  the  orthodox  phil- 
osophy of  India,  viz.,  the  Vedanta.  This  important 
Upanishad  purports  to  give  a full  account  of  the  sylla- 
ble Om.  The  opening  sentence  is  “Let  a man  medi- 
tate on  the  syllable  Om — called  the  udgitha,  for  the 
udgitha  (a  portion  of  the  Sama-veda)  is  sung  begin- 
ning with  Om.” 

This  sacred  syllable  has  been  the  source  of  no  little 
trouble  and  perplexity  on  the  part  of  European  scholars, 
as  it  had  to  be  pronounced  at  the  beginning  of  each 
Veda,  and  at  every  recitation  of  Vedic  hymns.  As 
connected  with  the  Sama-veda,  Om  is  called  udgitha. 
Muller  says  that  the  syllable  originally  meant  “that”  or 
“yes,”  but  it  is  also  considered  the  symbol  of  all 
speech  and  of  all  life.  It  is  also  the  name  for  all 
physical  and  mental  powers ; also  the  principle  of  life, 
or  living  spirit,  which  is  identified  with  the  spirit  in 
the  sun.  Therefore,  he  who  meditates  upon  Om, 
meditates  on  the  spirit  in  man  as  identical  with  the 
spirit  in  nature,  or  in  the  sun,  and  thus  he  is  supposed 
to  be  led  to  a recognition  of  the  self  in  man  as  identi- 
cal with  the  highest  self,  or  Brahman. 

Meditation  on  that  syllable  is  supposed  to  mean  the 
long-continued  repetition  of  it,  until  the  mind  is  drawn 
away  from  all  other  subjects  and  concentrated  upon 
a higher  object  of  thought,  which  is  symbolized  by  the 
sacred  syllable.  The  exposition  of  Om,  or  of  udgitha, 
as  given  by  this  Upanishad,  is  as  follows:  “The  full 

this  method  of  transliteration  is  followed,  the  first  two  letters  must  always 
be  italicized  or  else  the  K will  be  pronounced  like  the  English  K,  whereas  it 
should  be  pronounced  like  eh  in  church.  Many  scholars  therefore  prefer 
to  write  the  name  “Chandogya,”  as  it  is  more  liable  to  be  correctly  pro- 
nounced by  the  English  reader. 


THE  UPANISHADS. 


103 


account,  however,  of  Om  is  this : The  essence  of  all 
beings  is  the  earth  ; the  essence  of  the  earth  is  water  ; 
the  essence  of  water,  the  plants ; the  essence  of  plants, 
man;  the  essence  of  man,  speech;  the  essence  of  speech, 
the  Rig-veda ; the  essence  of  the  Rig-veda,  the  Sama- 
veda ; the  essence  of  the  Sama-veda,  the  udgitha, 
(which  is  Om).  That  udgitha  (Om)  is  the  best  of  all 
essences,  the  highest,  deserving  the  highest  place,  the 
eighth.  ...  By  that  syllable  does  the  threefold 
knowledge  (the  sacrifice,  more  particularly  the  Sama- 
sacrifice,  as  founded  on  the  three  Vedas)  proceed. 
When  the  Adhvaryu  priest  gives  an  order,  he  says  Om. 
When  the  Hotri  priest  recites,  he  says  Om.  When  the 
Udgatri  priest  sings,  he  says  Om — all  for  the  glory  of 
that  syllable. 

“The  threefold  knowledge  (the  sacrifice)  proceeds 
by  the  greatness  of  that  syllable  (the  vital  breaths),  and 
by  its  essence  (the  oblations).  Now,  therefore,  it 
would  seem  to  follow  that  both  he  who  knows  this  (the 
true  meaning  of  the  syllable  Om)  and  he  who  does 
not,  perform  the  same  sacrifice ; but  this  is  not  so, 
for  knowledge  and  ignorance  are  different.  The  sacri- 
fice which  a man  performs  with  knowledge,  faith,  and 
the  Upanishad,  is  more  powerful.  This  is  the  full  ac- 
count of  the  syllable  Om.”1 

There  were  three  classes  of  priests  engaged  in  the 
soma  sacrifices,  and  each  one  was  obliged  to  begin  his 
part  of  the  ceremonial  with  Om,  therefore  the  whole 
sacrifice  was  said  to  be  dependent  on  that  syllable, 

i 1st  Prap. — 1st  Khan. 

The  quotations  from  the  Upanishads,  unless  otherwise  indicated,  are 
from  Muller's  translations. 


104 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  for  the  glory  of  that  syllable  as  an  emblem  of  the 
Highest  Self,  the  knowledge  of  whom  is  the  indirect 
result  of  all  sacrifices.  The  great  importance  of  this 
syllable  is  expressed  by  the  vital  breaths  of  the  priest, 
the  sacrificer  and  his  wife. 

The  essence  of  the  syllable  is  supposed  to  be  many 
things : for  instance,  the  rice  and  corn  and  other  arti- 
cles used  in  the  oblation.  The  sacrifice  which  is  de- 
pendent upon  the  syllable  Om  is  supposed  to  ascend 
to  the  sun,  and  as  the  sun  sends  rain,  and  rain  pro- 
duces food,  and  food  produces  life,  breath  and  food 
are  due  to  the  syllable  Om.  This  syllable  seems  to  have 
been  used  on  all  occasions,  both  in  sacrifice  and  in 
fables,  sometimes  apparently  without  meaning,  as  in 
the  12th  Khanda  of  the  1st  Prapaf/mka. 

1.  “Now  follows  the  udgitha  of  the  dogs.  Vaka 

Dillbhya  . . . went  out  to  repeat  the  Veda  in  a 

quiet  place. 

2.  “A  white  dog  appeared  before  him,  and  other  dogs 
gathered  around  him  (the  white  dog),  and  said  to  him, 
‘Sir,  sing  and  get  us  food,  we  are  hungry.’ 

3.  “The  white  dog  said  to  them,  ‘Come  to  me  to- 
morrow morning.’  Vaka  Dillbhya  watched. 

4.  “The  dogs  came  on,  holding  together,  each  dog 
keeping  the  tail  of  the  preceding  dog  in  his  mouth, 
as  the  priests  do  (hold  each  other’s  garments)  when 
they  are  going  to  sing  praises  with  the  Vahish-pavamana 
hymns.  After  they  had  settled  down,  they  began  to 
say  Hin. 

5.  “ Om  let  us  eat.  Om  let  us  drink.  Om  may 
the  divine  V ar u na-p ra^apat i Savitri  bring  us  food. 
Lord  of  food,  bring  hither  food,  bring  it  Om.” 


THE  UPASTISHADS. 


105 


Here  it  is  represented  as  being  used  by  dogs  in 
order  to  obtain  their  food,  but  the  Manda  closes  as 
abruptly  as  it  began  and  gives  no  information  as  to 
whether  they  received  the  food  or  not.  The  allusion 
to  the  priests  in  the  fourth  verse  applies  to  the  cere- 
mony where  the  priests  have  to  walk  in  procession, 
each  holding  the  gown  of  his  predecessor.  Varuna 
(the  sky)  and  Praydpati  (year),  alluded  to  in  verse  5, 
are  explained  as  different  appellations  of  Savitri  (the 
sun),  meaning  rain-giver  and  man-protector.  The  sylla- 
ble Om  is  elsewhere  explained  as  representing  all  the 
deities  of  the  earth,  the  air,  and  the  sky. 

THE  KENA  UPANISHAD. 

The  Kena  or  Talavakara  was  one  of  the  Upanishads 
published  in  English  by  Rammohun  Roy.  It  was  also 
published  in  Germany,  and  has  been  more  or  less  in- 
vestigated by  many  scholars.  The  prominence  given 
to  this  important  Upanishad  botli  by  native  and 
European  scholars,  would  seem  to  justify  the  quotation 
of  the  1st  Manda  : 

1.  “The  pupil  asks:  ‘At  whose  wish  does  the  mind 
sent  forth  proceed  on  its  errand  ? At  whose  command 
does  the  first  breath  go  forth  ? At  whose  wish  do  we 
utter  this  speech  ? What  god  directs  the  eye  or  the 
ear?’ 

2.  “ The  teacher  replies  : ‘ It  is  the  ear  of  the  ear 
— the  mind  of  the  mind — the  speech  of  the  speech — 
the  breath  of  the  breath — and  the  eye  of  the  eye. 
When  freed  (from  the  senses)  the  wise  on  departing 
from  this  world  become  immortal. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


3.  “The  eye  does  not  go  thither,  nor  speech,  nor 
mind.  We  do  not  know,  we  do  not  understand,  how 
any  one  can  teach  it. 

4.  “It  is  different  from  the  known;  it  is  also  above 
the  unknown.  Thus  have  we  heard  from  those  of  old, 
who  taught  us  this. 

5.  “ That  which  is  not  expressed  by  speech,  and  by 
which  speech  is  expressed,  that  alone,  known  as  Brah- 
man, not  that  which  people  here  adore. 

G.  “That  which  does  not  think  by  mind,  and  by 
which  they  say  mind  is  thought,  that  alone,  known  as 
Brahman,  not  that  which  people  here  adore. 

7.  “That  which  does  not  see  by  the  eye,  and  by 
which  one  sees  (the  work  of)  the  eyes,  that  alone, 
known  as  Brahman,  not  that  which  people  here  adore. 

8.  “That  which  does  not  hear  by  the  ear,  and  by 
which  the  ear  is  heard,  that  alone,  known  as  Brahman, 
not  that  which  people  here  adore. 

9.  “ That  which  does  not  breathe  by  breath,  and  by 
which  breath  is  drawn,  that  alone,  known  as  Brahman, 
not  that  which  people  here  adore/’ 

This  peculiar  metaphysical  work  closes  with  the  de- 
claration that  “The  feet  upon  which  the  Upanishad 
stands  are  penance  — restraint  — sacrifice.  The  YTedas 
are  all  its  limbs.  The  True  is  its  abode. 

“He  who  knows  this  Upanishad,  and  has  shaken  off 
all  evil,  stands  in  the  endless  unconquerable  world  of 
heaven  — yea,  in  the  world  of  heaven.” 

THE  KATHA  UPANISHAD. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important  of 
these  books,  and  is  quite  familiar  to  European  students 


THE  UPANISHAHS. 


107 


of  Sanskrit.  It  formed  part  of  the  Persian  translation, 
was  rendered  into  English  by  Rammohun  Roy,  and  has 
been  quoted  by  many  scholars  as  one  of  the  most  per- 
fect specimens  of  the  mystic  philosophy  and  poetry  of 
the  ancient  Hindus. 

This  document  opens  with  the  story  of  Naciketas. 
The  father  of  this  unfortunate  youth  had  given  all  of 
his  property  to  the  priests  and  devoted  his  son  to 
death. 

Naciketas  is  represented  as  going  to  the  abode  of 
Yama,  the  King  of  Death,  by  whom  he  is  kindly  re- 
ceived. He  is  requested  to  choose  three  boons.  For 
the  first  boon,  the  boy  chose  that  he  might  be  restored 
to  life  and  see  his  reconciled  father  once  more;  for 
the  second  that  he  might  know  the  fire  by  which  heaven 
is  gained;  for  the  third  he  requested  the  King  of  Death 
to  teach  him  whether  or  not  the  soul  existed  after 
death.  Yama  entreated  him  to  choose  any  other  boon 
than  this,  but  the  youth  persisting  in  his  demand  to 
be  enlightened  upon  this  subject,  Yama  finally  explained 
the  matter  to  him  in  the  following  language: 

“The  good,  the  pleasant  — these  are  separate  ends  — 
The  one  or  the  other  all  mankind  pursues ; 

But  those  who  seek  the  good  alone  are  blest; 

Who  choose  the  pleasant  miss  man’s  highest  aim. 
The  sage  the  truth  discerns  — not  so  the  fool. 

But  thou,  my  son,  with  wisdom  hath  abandoned 
The  fatal  road  of  wealth  that  leads  to  death. 

Two  other  roads  there  are,  all  wide  apart, 

Ending  in  widely  different  goals  — the  one 
Called  ignorance,  the  other  knowledge  — this, 


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0 Naciketas,  thou  dost  well  to  choose. 

The  foolish  follow  ignorance,  but  think 

They  tread  the  road  of  wisdom,  circling  round 

With  erring  steps  — like  blind  men  led  by  blind. 

The  careless  youth,  by  lust  of  gain  deceived, 

Knows  but  one  world,  one  life;  to  him  the  Kow 
Alone  exists,  the  Future  is  a dream. 

The  highest  aim  of  knowledge  is  the  soul. 

This  is  a miracle  beyond  the  ken 
Of  common  mortals,  thought  of  though  it  be, 

And  variously  explained  by  skilful  teachers. 

Who  gains  this  knowledge  is  a marvel,  too. 
lie  lives  above  the  cares  — the  griefs  and  joys 
Of  time  and  sense  — seeking  to  penetrate 
The  fathomless  unborn,  and  eternal  essence. 

The  slayer  thinks  he  slays,  the  slain 
Believes  himself  destroyed;  the  thoughts  of  both 
Are  false,  the  soul  survives,  nor  kills,  nor  dies; 

’Tis  subtler  than  the  subtlest,  greater  than 
The  greatest  — infinitely  small,  yet  vast. 

Asleep,  yet  restless,  moving  everywhere 
Among  the  bodies  — ever  bodiless. 

Think  not  to  grasp  it  by  the  reasoning  mind, 

The  wicked  ne’er  can  know  it.  Soul  alone 
Knows  soul;  to  none  but  soul  is  soul  revealed.”1 

Tims  is  the  immortality  of  the  soul  distinctly  taught 
in  this  Upanishad;  but  the  soul  is  represented  as  being 
asleep,  yet  moving  restlessly  everywhere.  It  is  also 
stated  that  the  “wicked  ne’er  can  know  it,”  thereby 
broadly  hinting  that  only  the  good  are  immortal;  it 


l Williams’  trails.,  Iud.  Wis.,  p.  43. 


THE  UPAXISHADS. 


109 


is  perhaps  as  lucid  an  explanation  of  a future  life  as 
we  could  expect  to  receive  from  Yam  a,  the  King  of 
Death. 

THE  AITAEEYA  UPAXISHAD. 

This  Upanishad  which  was  translated  for  the  ‘‘Bib- 
liotheca Indica”  by  Dr.  Boer,  appears  to  be  almost  hope- 
lessly mixed  with  the  Aranyakas  or  forest  books,  and 
the  first  chapter  is  simply  a continuation  of  the  Aita- 
reya-brahmana. 

Sayana  speaks  of  the  Aitareya-aranyaka  as  a part  of 
the  Brahmana,  and  Sankara,  who  is  a still  earlier  au- 
thority, conveys  the  idea  that  both  the  Upanishad  and 
the  Aranyaka  may  be  classed  as  Brahmana. 

In  this  Upanishad  we  find  much  repetition  of  mat- 
ter which,  even  at  first,  was  useless  and  absurd.  For 
instance,  in  relation  to  men  and  deities,  it  is  said:  “By 
repeating  the  first  verse  three  times  they  (men)  become 
twenty-five.  The  trunk  is  the  twenty-fifth,  and  Pray- 
apati  (the  year)  is  the  twenty-fifth.  There  are  ten  fin- 
gers on  his  hands,  ten  toes  on  his  feet;  two  legs,  two 
arms  and  the  trunk,  the  twenty-fifth.  Xow  this  day 
consists  of  twenty-five,  and  the  stoma  hymn  of  that  day 
consists  of  twenty-five.  It  becomes  the  same  through 
the  same.  Therefore,  the  two,  the  day  and  the  hymn, 
are  twenty-five.  This  is  the  twenty-fifth  with  regard 
to  the  body.  Xext,  with  regard  to  the  deities:  The 

eye,  the  ear,  the  mind,  the  speech  and  breath  — these 
five  deities  (powers) — have  entered  into  that  person 
(purusha),  and  that  person  entered  into  the  five  dei- 
ties. He  is  wholly  pervaded  there  with  his  limbs  to 
the  very  hairs  and  nails.  Therefore,  all  beings,  to  the 


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very  insects,  are  born  as  pervaded  (by  the  deities  or 
senses).”1 

THE  KAUSHITAKI-B  RAHMAN  A UPANISHAD. 

This  Upanishad  discourses  upon  the  future  life  and 
teaches  that  all  who  leave  this  world  (or  this  body)  go 
to  the  moon.  Those  who  reach  the  light  half  of  the 
moon  meet  with  a glad  reception,  for  “ the  moon  de- 
lights in  their  spirits,”  while  those  who  reach  the  dark 
half  are  not  joyously  received,  hut  are  sent  on  to  be 
born  again.  The  moon  is  represented  as  the  door  to 
the  heavenly  world.  If  a man  objects  to  her,  she 
sets  him  free ; but  if  the  man  does  not  object,  she 
sends  him  down  as  rain  upon  the  earth.  His  next 
birth  is  favorable  or  otherwise,  in  direct  proportion  to 
his  virtue  and  wisdom  ; he  may  be  born  as  a worm  or 
an  insect ; as  a fish  or  a bird ; as  a lion,  or  a boar,  or  a 
serpent.  He  may  assume  the  shape  of  a tiger  or  a 
man.  He  may  happen  to  be  in  favorable  or  unfavor- 
able localities,  and  he  is  as  likely  to  be  found  in  hell 
as  anywhere  else.  If,  upon  returning  to  the  earth  in 
any  of  these  forms,  any  one  asks  him  from  whence  he 
came,  he  is  to  reply:  “From  the  wise  moon,  who  or- 
ders the  seasons — when  it  is  born  consisting  of  fifteen 
parts — from  the  moon  who  is  the  home  of  our  ances- 
tors. . . Therefore,  0 ye  seasons,  grant  that  I may  attain 
immortality  (knowledge  of  Brahman),  by  this  my  true 
saying,  by  this  my  toil.  I am  like  a season,  and  the 
child  of  the  seasons.  ‘Who  art  thou  ?’  the  sage  asks 

1 1st  Aran.,  3 Adhy.,  8 Khan. 

2 This  work  was  translated  for  the  “Bibliotheca  Indica”  by  Prof.  Cowell 
of  Cambridge. 


THE  ri’AXISIIADS. 


Ill 


again.  ‘ I am  thou/  lie  replies.  Then  he  sets  him 
free  to  proceed  onward/’1 

THE  VAJASANEYI  SAWHITA  UPAKISHAD. 

The  peculiar  character  of  this  book  appears  to  be 
the  recognition  of  the  necessity  of  good  works  as  a 
preparation  for  the  reception  of  the  highest  knowledge. 
The  doctrine  that  the  moment  a man  is  enlightened 
he  becomes  free,  as  taught  in  the  other  Upanishads, 
led  (according  to  Muller)  to  a rejection  of  all  disci- 
pline and  a condemnation  of  all  sacrifices,  which  could 
hardly  have  been  tolerated  in  the  last  chapter  of  the 
Yajur-veda  Samhita. 

In  this  Upanishad  Brahman  is  called  Is,  or  lord  ; it 
treats  of  the  demoniacal  and  sunless  worlds,  to  which 
all  go  who  have  lost  their  identity.  It  is  said  that 
“ All  who  worship  what  is  not  true  cause  enter  into 
blind  darkness.  Those  who  delight  in  true  cause  enter, 
as  it  were,  into  greater  darkness.” 

“ One  thing  they  say  is  obtained  from  (knowledge 
of)  the  cause,  another,  they  say,  from  (knowledge  of) 
what  is  not  the  cause.  . . He  who  knows  at  the  same 
time  both  the  cause  and  the  destruction  (the  perisha- 
ble body)  overcomes  death  by  destruction  (the  perisha- 
ble body),  and  obtains  immortality  through  (knowledge 
of)  the  true  cause.  . . Breath  to  air  and  to  the  immortal. 
Then  this  my  body  ends  in  ashes,  Om  ! Mind,  remem- 
ber ! Remember  thy  deeds  ! Mind,  remember  ! Remem- 
ber thy  deeds ! ” 


1 1st  Adhy.,  2. 


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THE  ISA. 

This  is  a very  short  Upanishad  which  has  been 
translated  by  Max  Mil  Her,  and  also  by  Sir  Wm.  Jones 
and  Dr.  Roer,  but  we  here  give  the  poetical  rendering 
by  Sir  Monier  Williams  of  about  half  the  work. 

“ Whatever  exists  within  this  universe 
Is  all  to  be  regarded  as  enveloped 
By  the  great  Lord,  as  if  wrapped  in  a vesture. 
Renounce,  0 man,  the  world,  and  covet  not 
Another’s  wealth,  so  shalt  thou  save  thy  soul. 
Perform  religious  works,  so  mayst  thou  wish 
To  live  a hundred  years  ; in  this  way  only 
Mayst  thou  engage  in  worldly  acts  untainted. 

To  worlds  immersed  in  darkness,  tenanted 
By  evil  spirits  shall  they  go  at  death 
Who  in  this  life  are  killers  of  their  souls. 

There  is  one  only  Being  who  exists 
Unmoved,  yet  moving  swifter  than  the  mind  ; 

Who  far  outstrips  the  senses,  though  as  gods 
They  strive  to  reach  him  ; Avho  himself  at  rest 
Transcends  the  fleetest  flight  of  other  beings; 

Who  like  the  air,  supports  all  vital  action, 
lie  moves,  yet  moves  not  ; he  is  far,  yet  near  ; 
lie  is  within  this  universe,  and  yet 
Outside  this  universe  ; whoe’er  beholds 
All  living  creatures  as  in  him,  and  him — 

The  universal  spirit — as  in  all. 

Henceforth  regards  no  creature  with  contempt. 

The  man  who  understands  that  every  creature 
Exists  in  God  alone,  and  thus  perceives 
The  unity  of  being,  has  no  grief 


THE  UPANISHADS. 


113 


And  no  illusion.  He,  the  all-pervading, 

Is  brilliant,  without  body,  sinewless, 

Invulnerable,  pure,  and  undefiled 
By  taint  of  sin ; he  also  is  all-wise. 

The  Ruler  of  the  mind,  above  all  beings. 

The  Self-existent.  He  created  all  things 
Just  as  they  are  from  all  eternity.”1 

There  are  many  other  Upanishads,  but  an  examina- 
tion of  these  extracts  will  give  an  idea  of  their  general 
literary  character,  and  the  tenor  of  their  teachings,  as  a 
whole. 

These  treatises  were  considered  the  completion  of 
revelation ; they  were  held  to  be  a very  important 
portion  of  the  Veda,  or  knowledge,  and  in  the  esti- 
mation of  their  best  thinkers,  like  Rammohun  Roy, 
they  were  by  far  the  most  important  portion,  being 
the  grandest  and  noblest  utterances  of  the  Veda — 
the  point  to  which  all  previous  revelation  tended. 

The  three  grand  divisions  of  Vedic  literature  which 
have  been  discussed  under  the  heads  of  Mantra,  Brah- 
mana  and  Upanishad,  all  come  under  the  head  of 
Sruti — that  which  is  directly  heard  or  revealed.  The 
voice  of  divine  knowledge  heard  by  the  Rishis,  or 
sages,  and  by  them  either  orally  transmitted  or  written 
down  exactly  as  heard. 

We  shall  now  consider  the  teaching  of  these  oracles 
upon  the  most  important  doctrinal  points  of  the  Hindu 
faith.  Too  much  care  and  discrimination  cannot  be 
used  in  the  examination  of  this  subject,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  they  are  considered  the  most  vital  portion  of 
the  Veda. 


i Ind.  Wis.,  p.  3$. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


TIIE  MONOTHEISM  OF  THE  UPANISHADS. 

PANTHEISM  — CONFESSION  OF  FAITH  — DEATH  OF  THEIR 
SUPREME  GOD  — DESCRIPTIONS  OF  BRAHMA — THE 
FEET  OF  BRAHMAN  — VISHNU  AS  THE  SUPREME  GOD 
— THE  SVETASV ATARA  UPANISHAD  — PANTHEISM  TIIE 
CREED  OF  VEDIC  LITERATURE. 

IT  has  been  claimed  by  some  that  the  Upanishads 
are  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the  one  God — the 
Supreme — who  bears  the  name  of  the  Highest  Self  — 
Brahman.  But  here  again,  as  in  other  portions  of  the 
Vedas,  the  monotheism,  upon  closer  examination,  seems 
to  be  simple  pantheism.  In  other  words,  there  is  only 
one  Being  in  the  universe,  and  that  is  the  universe 
itself.  This  being  is  also  thought  of  as  the  one  Uni- 
versal Soul,  with  which  all  existing  material  substances 
are  identified,  and  into  which  the  souls  must  be  ulti- 
mately merged. 

“This,”  says  Williams,  “is  the  pantheistic  doctrine, 

everywhere  traceable  in  some  of  the  more  ancient 

Upanishads.  It  is  often  wrapped  up  in  mystic  lan- 

/ 

guage  and  fantastic  allegory,  but  in  the  Chandogya 
Upanishad  is  found  the  following  simple 

CONFESSION  OF  FAITH. 

“ ‘All  this  universe  indeed  is  Brahma;  from  him  does 


m 


THE  MONOTHEISM  OF  THE  UPAXISHADS. 


115 


it  proceed;  into  him  it  is  dissolved;  in  him  it  breathes, 
so  let  every  one  adore  him  calmly.’”1 

It  is  also  taught  that  “ This  whole  is  Brahma,  from 
Brahma  to  a clod  of  earth.  Brahma  is  both  the  effi- 
cient and  the  material  cause  of  the  world.  He  is  the 
potter  by  whom  the  vase  is  formed;  he  is  the  clay  from 
which  it  is  fabricated.  Everything  proceeds  from  him, 
without  waste  or  diminution  of  the  source,  as  light  ra- 
diates from  the  sun.  Everything  merges  into  him 
again,  as  bubbles  bursting  mingle  with  the  air  — as 
rivers  fall  into  the  ocean.  Everything  proceeds  from 
and  returns  to  him,  as  the  web  of  the  spider  is  emit- 
ted from  and  retracted  into  itself.”  2 

DEATH  OF  THEIR  SUPREME  GOD. 

Brahma,  as  the  Supreme  God,  is  represented  as  dy- 
ing, and  in  strict  accordance  with  the  pantheistic  creed 
so  generally  taught,  the  whole  universe  expires  with  him, 
to  be  reorganized  again  when  the  Supreme  God  comes 
again  from  the  death  state 

The  Devas,  or  deities,  are  also  frequently  mentioned, 
and  many  of  the  descriptions  of  God  are  so  absurd  that 
the  student  of  Yedic  literature  wonders  what  kind  of 
a conception  the  writer  could  have  had  of  an  Infinite 
Creator.  He  is  sometimes  represented  as  being  the 
guardian  of  the  world  — having  swallowed  the  others. 
It  is  also  claimed  that  he  is  the  self  of  the  Devas  (or 
gods),  the  creator  of  all.  He  is  represented  as  having 
golden  tusks;  he  is  called  “the  eater,”  and  is  said  to 
be  “not  without  intelligence.”  “His  greatness  is  said 

■ Chan.  Upa.,  3-14,  Williams'  trans.  2 Wilson,  Vol.  IT,  p.  95. 


116 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


to  be  great  indeed,  because  without  being  eaten,  he  eats 
even  what  is  not  food.”1  It  is  claimed  that  though 
mortals  see  him  not,  he  sees  and  knows  them.  He  is 
the  god  who,  as  Vayu,  swallows  all  the  gods,  but  pro- 
duces them  again,  and  who  swallows  during  sleep  all 
senses,  but  produces  them  again  at  the  time  of  waking. 

THE  FEET  OF  BRAHMAN. 

Satyakama,  a religious  student,  is  said  to  have  re- 
ceived the  following  expositions  of  the  feet  of  Brah- 
man2 from  a bull,  from  fire  (Agni),  from  a flamingo, 
and  from  a diver  bird,  respectively.  “The  bull  of 
the  herd  said  to  him  ‘ . . . I will  declare  to 

you  one  foot  of  Brahman  . . . The  eastern 

region  is  one  quarter,  the  western  region  is  one  quar- 
ter, the  southern  region  is  one  quarter,  the  northern 
region  is  one  quarter.  This  is  the  foot  of  Brahman 
and  called  Prakasavat  (endowed  with  splendor).  lie 
who  knows  this  and  meditates  on  the  foot  of  Brah- 
man consisting  of  four  quarters,  by  the  name  of  Prak- 
asavat,  becomes  endowed  with  splendor  in  this  world, 
lie  conquers  the  resplendent  worlds,  whoever  knows 
this  and  meditates  on  the  foot  of  Brahman  consisting 
of  four  quarters  by  the  name  of  Prakasavat.’ 

“After  these  words  of  the  bull,  Satyakama  on  the 
morrow  drove  the  cows  toward  the  house  of  the  teacher, 
and  when  they  came  towards  the  evening  he  lighted 
a fire,  penned  the  cows,  and  sat  down  behind  the  fire, 
looking  toward  the  east.  Then  Agni  (the  fire)  said 

iChan.  Upa,  4-3. 

2 In  the  Code  of  Manu  the  name  of  Brahman  is  applied  to  the  su- 
preme Being,  while  Brahma  is  called  the  creator  of  the  universe— Brah 
man  (the  Highest  Self)  being  the  neuter  form. 


THE  MONOTHEISM  OF  THE  UPANISHADS. 


117 


to  him,  ‘ . . . I will  declare  unto  you  one  loot 

of  Brahman  . . . The  earth  is  one  quarter, 

the  sky  is  one  quarter,  the  heaven  is  one  quarter, 
the  ocean  is  one  quarter.  This  is  the  foot  of  Brah- 
man, consisting  of  'four  quarters,  and  called  Ananta- 
vat  (endless).  He  who  knows  this  and  meditates  on 
the  foot  of  Brahman  by  the  name  of  Anantavat,  be- 
comes endless  in  this  world.  He  conquers  endless 
worlds,  whoever  knows  this  and  meditates  on  the  foot 
of  Brahman  consisting  of  four  quarters,  by  the  name 
of  Anantavat.’ 

“After  these  words  of  Agni,  Satyakama  on  the  morrow 
drove  the  cows  onward,  and  when  they  came  towards 
the  evening,  he  lighted  a fire,  penned  the  cows 

and  sat  down  behind  the  fire,  looking  toward 
the  east.  Then  a Hamasa  (flamingo,  meant  for  the 
sun),  flew  near  and  said  to  him  ;••••!  will 
declare  unto  you  one  foot  of  Brahman 
Fire  is  one  quarter,  the  sun  is  one  quarter,  the  moon 
is  one  quarter,  lightning  is  one  quarter.  This  is  the 
foot  of  Brahman  consisting  of  four  quarters,  called 
Gyotishmat  (full  of  light).  He  who  knows  this  and 
meditates  on  the  foot  of  Brahman  consisting  of  four 
quarters,  by  the  name  of  Gyotishmat,  becomes  full  of 
light  in  this  world.  He  conquers  worlds  which  are 
full  of  light,  whoever  knows  this  and  meditates  on 
the  foot  of  Brahman  consisting  of  four  quarters,  by  the 
name  of  Gyotishmat.’ 

“After  these  words  of  the  Hawiasa,  Satyakama  on 
the  morrow  drove  the  cows  onward,  and  when  they 
came  towards  evening  he  lighted  a fire,  penned  the  cows, 
and  sat  down  behind  the  fire,  looking  toward  the  east. 


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Then  a diver  (bird)  flew  near  and  said  to  him,  ‘ • • 

. . I will  declare  unto  you  one  foot  of  Braliman 

Breath  is  one  quarter,  the  eye  is  one  quarter, 
the  ear  is  one  quarter,  the  wind  is  one  quarter.  This 
is  the  foot  of  Brahman,  consisting  of  four  quarters  and 
called  Ayatanavat  (having  a home).  He  who  knows 
this  and  meditates  on  the  foot  of  Brahman,  consisting 
of  four  quarters,  by  the  name  of  Ayatanavat,  becomes 
possessed  of  a home  in  this  world.  lie  conquers  the 
worlds  which  offer  a home,  whoever  knows  this  and 
meditates  on  the  foot  of  Brahman,  consisting  of  four 
quarters,  by  the  name  of  Ayatanavat/ 

VISHNU  AS  THE  SUPREME  GOD. 

Vishnu,  especially  in  the  Puranas,  is  often  addressed 
as  the  Supreme  God,  who  is  described  under  all  the 
different  forms  of  this  deity.  Only  a few  years  since, 
one  of  the  finest  literary  men  in  India  commenced  a 
paper  with  an  earnest  invocation  to  the  “ Heavenly 
Boar.”  In  this  form  it  said  that  his  feet  were  the 
Vedas,  his  tusks  the  sacrificial  stakes  ; his  teeth  were 
the  offerings  ; his  mouth  was  the  pyre  ; his  tongue  was 
the  fire  ; his  hair  was  the  sacrificial  grass ; the  sacred 
texts  were  his  head  ; his  eyes  were  day  and  night ; his 
ears  were  the  two  bundles  of  Kusa  grass ; his  earrings 
were  the  two  ends  of  those  two  bundles  of  Kusa  grass ; 
his  nose  the  clarified  butter;  his  snout  was  the  ladle  of 
oblations.  . . . The  Lord,  the  Creator,  the  great 

Yogin2 — plunging  into  the  one  ocean  from  love  of  the 
world — raised  up  by  the  edge  of  his  tusks  the  earth 

l Chan.  Upa.,  4th  Prap.,  5-8  Khan. 

2 In  the  character  of  “lord  of  abstract  meditation”  <Siva  is  called  Yogin, 


THE  MONOTHEISM  OF  THE  UPANISHADS. 


119 


bounded  by  the  sea,  together  with  its  mountains,  for- 
ests, and  groves,  which  was  immersed  in  the  water  of 
the  one  ocean,  and  created  the  universe  anew. 

THE  SVETASVATARA  UPANISHAD. 

A 

One  of  the  most  modern  Upanishads  (the  Svetas- 
vatara)1  represents  the  Supreme  God  as  having  a thou- 
sand heads,  and  also  describes  the  hydra-headed  deity 
as  having  a thousand  eyes  and  a thousand  feet — one 
eye  and  one  foot  for  each  head.  The  quotation  is  as 
follows : 

“The  perfect  spirit  with  a thousand  heads, 

A thousand  eyes,  a thousand  feet,  the  ruler 
Of  all  that  is,  that  was,  that  is  to  be. 

Diffused  through  endless  space,  yet  of  the  measure 
Of  a man’s  thumb,  abiding  in  the  heart, 

Known  only  by  the  heart.  Whoever  knows  him 
Gains  everlasting  peace  and  deathlessness.”2 

Although  the  Supreme  Being  is  here  represented 
as  having  a superfluity  of  heads  and  feet,  he  is  des- 
cribed in  another  TTpanishad  as  being  entirely  without 
body  or  mind,  as  in  the  following  extract : 

“That  heavenly  Person  is  ivithout  body,  icithout 
breath  and  without  mind — pure,  higher  than  the  high 
Imperishable.  From  him,  (when  entering  on  creation), 
is  born  breath,  mind,  and  all  organs  of  sense;  ether, 
air,  light,  water,  and  the  earth,  the  support  of  all. 

l The  word  signifies  “white  mule,”  and  as  mules  have  been  known  and 
prized  in  India  from  the  earliest  time,  the  name  is  not  considered  inap- 
propriate for  either  a Upauishad  or  a person. 

i*  Williams’  trans. 


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Fire  (the  sky)  is  his  head;  his  eyes,  the  sun  and  moon; 
the  quarters,  his  ears ; his  speech,  the  Vedas  disclosed ; 
the  wind,  his  breath ; his  heart,  the  universe ; from  his 

feet  came  the  earth Brahman  the  highest 

immortal.  He  who  knows  this,  0 friend,  scatters 
the  knot  of  ignorance  here  on  earth.”1 

PANTHEISM  THE  CREED  OF  VEDIC  LITERATURE. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  monotheism  of  the 
Upanishads  represents  the  Supreme  Being  in  the  most 
repellent  forms,  and  also  that  the  great  underlying 
principle  of  TTpanishad  theology  is  one  of  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  Hindu  teaching,  viz.,  pure  pantheism. 

“As  golden  bracelets  are  in  substance  one 
With  gold,  so  are  all  visible  appearances. 

And  each  distinct  existence  one  with  Brahma.” 

This  pantheistic  creed  is  traceable  even  in  the  Rig- 
veda,  and  it  gathers  force  all  the  way  down  the  stream 
of  Hindu  literature.  The  Upanishads,  both  ancient 
and  modern,  teach  the  same  doctrine.  It  is  re-echoed 
by  both  of  the  great  epic  poems,  and  finally  presented 
in  the  strongest  colors,  amidst  the  endless  mythologies 
and  theogonies  of  the  Puranas.  Thus  the  Yedic  creed 
upon  this  subject  is  simplified  into  a belief  in  the  unity 
of  all  existing  beings.  But  while  this  doctrine  is 
everywhere  traceable  in  Hindu  literature,  we  find  side 
by  side  with  it  in  all  their  later  works  a pantheon 
containing  three  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of  deities, 
many  of  them  engaged  in  the  most  terrible  conflicts 
with  one  another. 


i MuniZaka  Upa.,  1st  Khan. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


COSMOGONY. 

ABSURD  THEORIES  — EXTRACT  FROM  C'HANDOGYA  UPAN- 
ISHAD — COSMOGONY  OF  MANU — A DAY  OF  BRAHMA 
— SLEEP  OF  BRAHMA  AND  ITS  RESULTS  — RE-CREA- 
TION— LENGTH  OF  BRAHMA’S  LIFE  — THE  SERPENT 
SESHA  — THE  NAGAS  OR  SERPENT  DEMONS — DEATH 
OF  BRAHMA  — REPEATED  CREATIONS — THE  WILL  OF 
BRAHMA — INDESTRUCTIBILITY  OF  MATTER  — EVOLU- 
TION AND  PANTHEISM  — COSMOGRAPHY  OF  THE  MA- 
HA-BHARATA  AND  THE  PURANAS  — THE  LENGTH  OF  A 
KALPA  — TEACHING  OF  THE  RAMAYANA  — CREATION 
BY  VISHNU — COMPARISON  BETWEEN  COSMOGONY  OF 
THE  VEDAS  AND  OTHER  ANCIENT  WRITINGS  — TES- 
TIMONY OF  BARON  VON  HUMBOLDT  — MOSAIC 
COSMOGONY. 

rpHE  various  cosmogonies  of  the  Hindus  are  so  absurd 
-L  in  their  theories,  and  so  contradictory  in  themselves, 
that  the  historian  shrinks  from  the  repetition  of  them. 
But  justice  has  no  choice ; her  decisions  are  inevitable, 
and  the  only  fair  verdict  that  can  be  rendered  must 
come  from  an  examination  of  the  books  themselves. 
Hence,  we  give 

AN  EXTRACT  FROM  THE  C'HANDOGYA  UPANISHAD, 

in  relation  to  the  theory  of  the  sun’s  origin  : 

121 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


1.  “Aditya  (the  sun)  is  Brahman;  this  is  the  doc- 
trine, and  this  is  the  fuller  account  of  it : In  the  begin- 
ning this  was  non-existent.  It  became  existent — it  grew. 
It  turned  into  an  egg  ; the  egg  lay  for  the  time  of 
a year ; the  egg  broke  open.  The  two  halves  were 
one  of  silver,  the  other  of  gold. 

2.  “ The  silver  one  became  this  earth  ; the  golden 
one,  the  sky ; the  thick  membrane  (of  the  white),  the 
mountains ; the  thin  membrane  (of  the  yolk),  the 
mist  with  the  clouds  ; the  small  veins,  the  rivers  ; the 
fluid,  the  sea. 

3.  “ And  what  was  born  from  it  ? That  was 
Aditya,  the  sun.  When  he  was  born  shouts  of  hurrah 
arose,  and  all  beings  arose,  and  all  things  which  they 
desired.  Therefore,  whenever  the  sun  rises  and  sets, 
shouts  of  hurrah  arise,  and  all  beings  arise,  and  all 
things  which  they  desire.”1 

COSMOGONY  OF  MANU. 

This  mundane  egg  is  a little  differently  presented 
by  Manu. 

The  collected  wisdom  found  in  his  laws  represents 
the  universe  as  first  existing  in  darkness,  as  if  immersed 
in  sleep.  Then  the  Self-existent,  having  ivilled  to 
produce  various  beings  from  his  own  substance,  first 
with  a thought  created  the  waters  and  placed  upon 
them  a productive  seed,  or  egg.  Then  he  himself  was 
born  in  that  egg,  in  the  form  of  Brahma.  Xext,  he 
caused  the  egg  to  divide  itself,  and  out  of  its  two 
divisions  formed  the  heaven  above  and  the  earth  be- 
neath. Afterwards,  having  divided  his  own  substance. 


14th  Prap.,  1 Khan. 


COSMOGONY. 


123 


lie  became  half  male  and  half  female,  and  that  female 
produced  Viraj,  from  whom  was  created  Manu,  the 
secondary  progenitor  of  all  things.1 

In  the  Vishnu-purana  we  learn  that  there  is  a 
great  multitude  of  these  cosmic  eggs,  and  it  is  said 
that  the  boundless  cause  of  all  things — the  Supreme 
Prakriti — is  “the  cause  of  all  mundane  eggs,  of  which 
there  are  thousands,  and  tens  of  thousands,  and  mill- 
ions, and  tens  of  millions.”2 

The  elements  of  the  primary  forms  thus  developed 
from  these  cosmic  eggs  are  supposed  to  remain  un- 
changed during  a single 

DAY  OF  BRAHMA, 

which  consists  of  two  billion,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
millions  of  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time  Brahma 
is  represented  as  sleeping.  The  contents  of  this 
world  and  also  of  the  other  spheres  of  the  universe 
are  consumed  by  fire  during  his  sleep.  The  fire  is 
then  extinguished  by  such  heavy  and  long-continued 
rains  that  a universal  cataclysm  is  produced,  and 
a shoreless  ocean  engulfs  all  life,  except  the  sages  and 
the  gods,  who  have  managed  to  escape  the  fire  and 
the  deluge. 

RE-CREATION. 

Brahma  finds,  however,  that  the  elements  still 
exist,  and  by  skilful  combinations  of  these  he  soon 
creates  anew  the  earth  and  its  inhabitants.  For  some 
unexplained  reason,  it  is  found  necessary  for  Brahma 
to  repeat  this  creation  every  day  during  the  hundred 

i For  a further  elucidation  of  this  cosmic  egg  see  Chap.  XXII  of  this 
volume.  2 Vish.  Pur.,  Vol.  II,  p.  232,  Wilson's  trans. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


years  of  his  life,  the  sum  total  of  his  existence  being 
311,400,000,000,000  years,  a number  quite  beyond  the 
ordinary  comprehension.  During  these  intervals  of 
creation  he  is  supported  on  the  thousand  heads  of 

THE  SERPENT  SESHA. 

For  this  reason  the  Nagas,  or  serpent  demons  are 
held  sacred  in  India.  A particular  day  is  devoted  to 
them,  and  a festival  is  kept  in  their  honor  about  the 
end  of  July.  The  lower  regions  are  supposed  to  be 
peopled  with  serpents,  all  of  them  having  jewels  in 
their  heads.  The  never-failing  imagination  of  the 
Hindu  has  furnished  names  for  all  the  chiefs  of  the 
serpent  tribe,  and  these  are  supposed  to  rule  over  the 
snakes  on  the  earth  as  well  as  those  in  the  lower 
regions. 

DEATH  OF  BRAHMA. 

At  the  close  of  the  enormous  periods  presented  as 
the  sum  of  the  hundred  years  of  Brahma’s  life,  Brahma 
himself  expires,  and  with  him  the  other  gods,  when 
every  form  of  the  world  has  been  resolved  back  to  pri- 
mary matter,  or  primary  spirit,  according  to  the  differ- 
ent theories  of  various  philosophies. 

REPEATED  CREATIONS. 

But  the  Hindu  mystic  is  not  long  left  without  a 
world.  Similar  causes  again  produce  similar  results 
and  the  whole  programme  of  creation  is  repeated.  Thus 
the  whole  universe  fluctuates  between  existence  and 
non-existence  throughout  the  ages  of  eternity. 

In  the  (Jhandogya  Upanishad  it  is  said  that  “In 


COSMOGONY. 


125 


the  beginning  there  was  the  mere  state  of  being — only 
one  without  a second.  . . It  willed,  ‘l  shall  multi- 

ply and  be  born/  It  created  water.  The  water  willed, 
‘ I shall  multiply  and  be  born.’  It  created  aliment. 
Therefore,  whenever  rain  falls  much  aliment  is  pro- 
duced. That  deity  willed,  ‘ Entering  these  three  divin- 
ities I shall  develop  name  and  form.’”1 

THE  WILL  OF  BRAHMA.  • 

An  explanation  of  the  mode  in  which  the  will  of 
Brahma  operates,  seems  never  to  have  been  attempted. 
He  wills  creation  to  be,  and  it  is ; still,  various  schools 
of  India  seem  to  unite  in  according  to  matter  the 
property  of  eternal  existence,  and  also  claim  that  it  is 
indestructible — the  most  of  the  Hindu  sages  having 
advocated  the  doctrine  of  ex  niliilo  nihil.  All  of  these 
schools  agree  in  advocating  the  infinity  and  eternal 
succession  of  creation,  and  the  periodical  dissolution 
and  reorganization  of  the  world. 

EVOLUTION  AND  PANTHEISM. 

At  times  these  books  teach  instead  of  a creation,  a 
system  of  evolution  in  its  clearest  type.  First,  there 
was  simple  matter,  then  being  sprang  out  of  non-being, 
and  finally  Brahma  became  the  universe.  Says  Prof. 
Duncker,  Brahma,  according  to  the  Vedanta,  “ is  the 
one  eternal  self-existent  essence,  unutterable  and  un- 
changeable. It  develops  into  the  world  and  is  thus 
creative  and  created.  As  milk  curdles,  as  water  be- 
comes snow  and  ice,  Brahma  congeals  with  matter.”  2 

l Chan.  Upa.,  6-2,  Williams’  trans.  2 Hist,  of  Antiq.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  300. 


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COSMOGRAPHY  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA  AXD  THE 
PURAXAS. 

The  cosmography  which  is  taught  in  the  Maha-bha- 
rata,  and  afterwards  adopted  by  the  Pur  anas,  divides 
the  earth  into  seven  concentric  circles  or  rings,  each 
of  which  is  surrounded  by  a circumambient  ocean  or 
belt,  which  separates  it  from  the  next  annular  continent. 
The  first  oceai*  is  a sea  of  salt  water ; the  second  is 
composed  of  the  juice  of  the  sugar  cane  ; the  third,  of 
wine  ; the  fourth,  of  clarified  butter ; the  fifth,  of 
curdled  milk;  the  sixth,  of  sweet  milk;  and  the  seventh, 
of  fresh  water.  In  the  center  of  this  vast  annular  sys- 
tem a mountain  called  Meru  rises  to  the  height  of  sixty- 
four  thousand  miles.1 

These  seven  circumambient  worlds  are  supposed  to 
rest  on  the  thousand  heads  of  the  serpent  Sesha,  which 
support  the  Supreme  Being  in  the  intervals  between 
the  creative  acts,  and  which  also  support  the  worlds 
which  are  created  at  the  commencement  of  each 
Kalpa,  or  two  billion,  one  hundred  and  sixty  millions 
of  years. 

It  is  claimed  in  the  Ramayana  that  the  earth  is 
supported  on  the  heads  and  backs  of  sixteen  immense 
elephants  ; eight  of  these  are  males  and  eight  are 
females.  In  order  to  be  explicit,  the  names  of  the  ele- 
phants are  given2  and  it  is  said  that  when  one  of  them 
shakes  his  body  the  motion  produces  earthquakes. 
Hence,  it  is  fair  to  suppose  that  if  they  all  happened 
to  shake  their  bodies  at  the  same  time,  a universal 
earthquake  would  he  the  result. 


i Vish.  Pur.,  Wilson's  trans.,  p.  166. 


2 Ind.  WTis.,  p.  430. 


COSMOGONY. 


127 


CREATION  BY  VISHNU. 

There  are  almost  as  many  creations  in  Hindu  litera- 
ture as  there  are  gods  in  the  pantheon,  the  most  of  them 
being  represented  as  creators  ; for  as  the  Hindus  have 
the  past  eternity  filled  with  successive  creative  acts, 
there  is  time  enough  for  each  deity  to  assume  the  part 
of  Brahma  in  the  work  of  creation.  The  Vishnu-purana 
gives  an  eloquent  description  of  the  process  of  recon- 
struction by  Vishnu.  This  deity,  who  is  repeatedly 
addressed  as  the  Supreme  Being,  is  described  as  a huge 
boar,  a thousand  yojanas  (forty-five  hundred  miles)  in 
height,  and  ten  yojanas  (forty-five  miles)  in  breadth. 
He  had  the  color  of  a dark  cloud  ; his  roar  was  like 
thunder  ; his  bulk  vast  as  a mountain  ; his  tusks  white, 
sharp,  aud  fearful.  Fire  flashed  from  his  eyes  like 
lightning,  and  he  was  radiant  as  the  sun.  His  should- 
ers were  round,  fat,  and  large,  and  he  strode  along 
like  a powerful  lion. 

This  “auspicious  supporter  of  the  world,”  whose 
eyes  were  like  the  lotus  after  receiving  hymns  of  praises, 
emitted  a low  murmuring  sound,  like  the  chanting  of  the 
Sama-veda,  and  uplifted  the  earth  from  the  lower  regions 
by  means  of  his  ample  tusks.  As  he  raised  his  enormous 
head  from  the  water  the  drops  which  fell  therefrom 
purified  the  great  sages,  Sanandana,  and  others  resid- 
ing in  the  sphere  of  the  saints.  Through  the  indenta- 
tions made  with  his  hoofs,  the  water  rushed  into  the 
lower  worlds  with  a thundering  noise,  while  the  Munis 
sought  for  shelter  among  his  sacred  bristles  as  he  rose 
up  supporting  the  earth  and  dripping  with  moisture. 
Then  the  great  sages  were  inspired  with  delight,  and 


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bowing  lowly  they  praised  the  stern-eyed  upholder  of 
the  earth.1 

COMPARISON  BETWEEN  HINDU  COSMOGONIES  AND 
OTHER  ANCIENT  WRITINGS. 

These  wild  theories  and  cosmogonies  illustrating 
the  absurdities  of  the  human  imagination,  present  a 
startling  contrast  to  the  books  of  Genesis  and  Job, 
which  were  written  at  a much  earlier  date.  In  direct 
proportion  to  the  development  of  science  the  admira- 
tion of  scientists  has  been  challenged  for  these  primi- 
tive works.  The  wonderful  accuracy  of  Job’s  allusions 
to  physical  laws  made  a powerful  impression  upon  the 
mind  of  Baron  Von  Humboldt,  who  expresses  himself 
as  follows  : 

TESTIMONY  OF  BARON  VON  HUMBOLDT. 

“ Similar  vieivs  of  the  Cosmos  occur  repeatedly  in 
the  Psalms  and  most  fully  perhaps  in  the  37th  chapter 
of  the  ancient,  if  not  ante-Mosiac,  book  of  Job.  The 
meteorological  processes  which  take  place  in  the  atmos- 
phere, the  formation  and  solution  of  vapor  according 
to  the  changing  direction  of  the  wind,  the  play  of  its 
colors,  the  generation  of  hail,  and  the  rolling  thunder, 
are  all  described  with  individualizing  accuracy.  And 
many  questions  are  propounded  which  we,  in  the  pres- 
ent state  of  physical  knowledge,  may  indeed  be  able 
to  express  under  more  scientific  definitions,  but  scarcely 
to  answer  satisfactorily.  In  all  the  modern  languages 
into  which  the  book  of  Job  has  been  translated,  its 
images  drawn  from  the  natural  scenery  of  the  East 

i Vish.-Pur.,  Wilson’s  trans.,  p.  63. 


COSMOGONY. 


129 


leave  a deep  impression  upon  the  mind.  ‘ The  Lord 
walketh  on  the  height  of  the  waters ; on  the  ridges  of 
the  waves  towering  high  beneath  the  face  of  the 
wind/  . . . And  we  see  the  pure  ether  spread  during 
the  scorching  heat  of  the  south  wind  as  a melted 
mirror  over  the  parched  desert.”1 

MOSAIC  COSMOGONY. 

The  Mosiac  description  of  creation  has  been  the 
marvel  of  Science  ever  since  she  has  been  able  to  com- 
prehend it.  With  a few  bold  outlines  and  graceful 
touches,  the  historian  has  given  with  fearless  hand  a 
cosmogony  that  has  endured  for  ages  the  most  search- 
ing light  of  investigation.  It  was  written  in  a primi- 
tive age,  when  the  crudest  ideas  were  entertained  in 
regard  to  nature’s  laws  and  general  ignorance  prevailed 
with  reference  to  their  cause  and  interpretation.  For 
three  thousand  years  it  has  been  exposed  to  attack  at 
every  point  and  has  been  tested  by  every  discovery  of 
man.  It  has  been  challenged  by  the  revelations  of 
geology,  chronology,  and  history.  It  has  been  ques- 
tioned by  fossils  from  the  depths  of  the  earth  and  by 
the  stars  which  gleam  in  the  midnight  heavens.  But 
the  record  stands  to-day  unimpeached  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  grandest  minds  of  earth.  We  find  in 
the  past  the  testimonies  of  her  Kepler,  Bacon,  and 
Newton,  of  her  Priestley  and  Brewster,  of  her  Dana, 
Von  Bitter,  Mitchell,  and  a host  of  others,  while  the 
ablest  scientists  of  to-day  are  found  in  the  same  ranks, 
bringing  glad  tributes  to  the  same  great  truth. 

The  cosmogonies  of  India  and  Egypt,  of  Assyria  and 

i Cosmos,  Vol.  II,  pp.  56-59,  Otte’s  trans. 


130 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Persia,  of  Greece  ancl  Rome,  and  of  the  isles  of  the 
seas,  have  been  canvassed  in  vain  for  satisfactory  expo- 
sitions of  physical  law. 

The  sublime  sentence  “In  the  beginning  God 
created  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ” stands  forever  with- 
out a rival  in  literature.  It  is  the  closed  gateway  be- 
tween the  illimitable  past  and  the  long  aisles  of  earthly 
time.  In  the  dim  vista  beyond  it  lies  a silence  as  pro- 
found as  the  primeval  darkness  that  rested  on  the  face 
of  the  deep.  In  a few  brief  sentences  is  given  a 
graphic  description  of  the  great  cycles  of  time,  during 
which  the  stars  were  lighted  and  the  earth  was  born. 
“And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void.”  How 
long  ? The  question  is  rolled  backward  through  the 
halls  of  time,  but  its  echoes  bring  no  answer.  Chro- 
nology has  tried  in  vain  to  measure  these  cycles,  and 
geology  has  opened  her  rock-bound  pages,  but  her 
clear-cut  inscriptions  tell  not  of  “ the  beginning.”  God 
wrought  alone  in  those  grand  periods,  but  tide  and  tor- 
rent, restless  surge  and  burning  mountain,  were  His 
agents.  At  last,  through  the  unvarying  laws  of  na- 
ture’s God,  a finished  globe,  with  sunlit  vales  and  snow- 
crowned  mountains,  with  silvery  streams  and  peaceful 
hills  rolled  in  its  orbit,  while  the  morning  stars  sang 
together  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 

DESCENT  OF  MAN  FROM  A SINGLE  PAIR — THE  EARTHLY 
AND  HEAVENLY  PART  OF  MAN — RECONSTRUCTION  OF 
MEN  AT  THE  END  OF  EACH  KALPA— CREATION  OF 
ANIMALS — DIFFERENT  CHARACTERS  AND  RACES  OF 
MEN — RUDRA — DEVOLUTION — EXTRACT. 

THE  philosophical  systems  of  India  seem  to  take 
little  notice  of  man  except  in  the  abstract.  It  is 
easy,  however,  to  detect  through  all  the  embellishments 
of  Hindu  literature,  the  tradition  of  the  descent  of 
mankind  from  a single  pair. 

Brahma  is  repeatedly  fabled  to  have  divided  himself 
into  two  creatures — one  male  and  the  other  female — 
and  from  the  union  of  these  two  one  man  and  one 
woman  were  born,  from  whom  came  not  mankind 
alone,  but  all  other  living  creatures  as  well.  This  gen- 
eral outline  is  found  in  the  Vedas  themselves,  but  it 
has  been  changed,  remodeled,  and  repeated  in  a variety 
of  shapes. 

The  origin  of  the  human  species  is  sometimes 
strangely  mixed  up  with  the  creation  of  the  world. 
For  instance,  in  the  Upanishads  we  find  the  following 
expositions  : 

“ Adoration  to  the  highest  self,  Hari,  Om. 

131 


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“1.  Verily  in  the  beginning  all  this  was  self  — one 
only  there  was;  nothing  else  blinking  (living)  what- 
soever. 

“ 2.  He  thought,  * Shall  I send  forth  worlds  ? ’ 
He  sent  forth  these  worlds  : 

“3.  Ambhas  (water),  mar  Hi  (light),  and  mara 
(mortal). 

“4.  That  Ambhas  (water)  is  above  the  heaven;  and 
it  is  heaven,  the  support.  The  mar  His  (the  lights), 
are  the  sky.  The  Mara  (mortal)  is  the  earth,  and  the 
waters  under  the  earth  are  the  Ap  (world). 

“5.  He  thought,  ‘There  are  these  worlds;  shall  I 
send  forth  guardians  of  the  worlds?’  He  then  formed 
the  Purusha  (the  person)  taking  him  forth  from  the 
water. 

“G.  He  brooded  on  him,  and  when  that  person  had 
thus  been  brooded  on,  a mouth  burst  forth  like  an 
egg.  From  the  mouth  proceeded  speech;  from  speech, 
Agni  (fire). 

“Nostrils  burst  forth;  from  the  nostrils  proceeded 
scent ; from  scent,  air. 

“Eyes  burst  forth;  from  the  eyes  proceeded  sight; 
from  sight,  Aditya  (sun). 

“ Ears  burst  forth ; from  the  ears  proceeded  hear- 
ing; from  hearing  the  Dis  (quarters  of  the  world). 

“Skin  burst  forth;  from  the  skin  proceeded  hairs; 
from  the  hairs,  shrubs  and  trees.  The  heart  burst  forth; 
from  the  heart  proceeded  mind,  etc.  • He 

thought,  “ There  are  the  worlds  and  the  guardians  of 
the  worlds.  Let  me  send  forth  food  for  them.’  He 
brooded  over  water.  From  the  water  thus  brooded  on, 
matter  was  born  • • • that  verily  was  food. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 


133 


When  this  food  had  been  sent  forth  it  wished  to  flee, 
crying  and  turning  away.  He  (the  subject)  tried  to 
grasp  it  by  speech.  If  he  had  grasped  it  by  speech, 
man  would  be  satisfied  by  naming  food.  He  tried  to 
grasp  it  by  scent.  If  he  had  grasped  it  by  scent, 
man  would  have  been  satisfied  by  smelling  food.  He 
tried  to  grasp  it  by  the  eye  ...  If  he  had  grasped 
it  with  the  eye,  man  would  have  been  satisfied  by 
seeing  food.  He  tried  to  grasp  it  with  the  ear 

If  he  had  grasped  it  with  the  ear,  man  would 
have  been  satisfied  by  hearing  food.  He  tried  to  grasp 
it  by  the  skin  ...  If  he  had  grasped  it  by  the 
skin,  man  would  be  satisfied  by  touching  food.  He  tried 
to  grasp  it  by  the  mind  ...  If  he  had  grasped 
it  by  the  mind,  man  would  have  been  satisfied  by 
thinking  of  food.  He  tried  to  grasp  it  by  the  down 
breathing  breath,  which  helps  to  swallow  food  by  breath- 
ing through  the  mouth  . . . He  got  it.”  Hence 

man  is  satisfied  only  by  the  eating  of  food.1 

These  endless  vagaries  are  pursued  through  a wilder- 
ness of  literature,  apparently  without  thought  or  purpose. 
Vayu,  the  getter,  is  then  represented  assaying:  “How 
can  all  this  be  without  me?”  and  then  he  thought 
“ By  what  way  shall  I get  there?”  Then  opening  the 
suture  of  the  skull  he  got  in  by  that  door  and  found 
there  were  three  dwelling  places  for  him,  viz. : the  eye, 
the  throat,  and  the  heart. 

“When  born  (that  is,  when  the  Highest  Self  had 
entered  the  body),  he  looked  through  all  things  in  or- 
der to  see  whether  anything  wished  to  proclaim  here 


i Aitareya  Aran.,  II,  4,  2-3. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


another  (Self).  He  saw  this  person  only  (himself)  as 
the  widely  spread  Brahman.”  This  verse  is  under- 
stood to  mean  that  the  Self  looked  carefully  around 
in  order  to  learn  what  there  was  which  might  pro- 
claim another  self ; and  when  he  saw  there  was  noth- 
ing which  did  not  come  from  himself,  he  recognized 
the  fact  that  the  person  which  he  had  created  was  the 
developed  Brahman,  the  Atman  — in  other  words,  him- 
self. Again,  we  are  taught  that  “ Every  man  is  in- 
deed like  an  egg;  there  are  two  halves  of  him.  This 
half  is  the  earth  ; that  half,  heaven.  And  there  be- 
tween them  is  the  ether  (the  space  of  the  mouth)  like 
the  ether  between  heaven  and  earth.  In  this  ether 
there  (in  the  mouth)  the  breath  is  fixed,  as  in  that 
other  ether  the  air  is  fixed.  And  as  there  are  those 
luminaries  (in  heaven)  there  are  these  luminaries  in 
man.  As  there  is  that  sun  in  heaven,  there  is  this  eye 
in  the  head.  As  there  is  that  lightning  in  the  sky, 
there  is  this  heart  in  the  body.”1  The  half  of  man 
which  represents  the  earth  is  that  part  from  the  feet 
to  the  lower  jaw,  and  the  part  which  represents  heaven 
is  the  intellectual  part  found  between  the  upper  jaw 
and  the  skull. 

RECONSTRUCTION  OF  MEN  AT  THE  END  OF  EACH  KALPA. 

Created  beings,  although  destroyed  in  their  individ- 
ual forms,  are  never  exempted  from  the  consecpiences 
of  their  acts  ; for  whenever  Brahma  creates  the  world 
anew  they  are  at  the  mercy  of  his  will,  either  as  gods, 
men,  animals,  or  inanimate  things.  Brahma  being  de- 
sirous at  one  of  these  periods  of  creating  gods,  de- 


i  Aitareya,  2,  4-1. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 


135 


mons,  progenitors  and  men,  collected  his  mind  into  it- 
self. Whilst  thus  concentrated,  the  quality  of  dark- 
ness pervaded  his  body,  and  the  demons  were  born  first, 
issuing  from  his  thigh.  Brahma  then  abandoned  the 
form  he  had  used,  and  the  form  thus  abandoned  became 
night.  Then  from  his  mouth  proceeded  gods,  and  the 
form  which  he  then  abandoned  became  day,  for  good- 
ness predominated  in  it.  He  next  adopted  another 
form,  and  the  progenitors  (the  pitnis)  were  born  from 
his  side,  and  the  body  which  he  then  abandoned  be- 
came the  evening  twilight.  Brahma  then  assumed 
another  body  pervaded  by  foulness,  and  from  this  men 
were  born,  and  the  body  thus  abandoned  became  the 
morning  twilight 

Thus  gods,  men,  demons  and  progenitors  were  re- 
constructed from  previous  forms,  and  the  bodies  which 
Brahma  abandoned  became  day,  night,  dawn  and  even- 
ing. Afterward  the  hairs  of  Brahma  which  were  shriv- 
eled up,  fell  from  his  head  and  became  serpents.  The 
creator  of  the  world,  being  incensed  by  the  loss  of  his 
hair,  created  fierce  beings  who  were  denominated  gob- 
lins ; they  were  malignant  fiends  and  eaters  of  flesh. 
The  divine  Brahma  then  created  birds  from  his  own 
vitality,  sheep  from  his  breast,  goats  from  his  mouth, 
cows  from  his  sides,  horses,  elephants,  and  other 
animals  from  his  feet,  whilst  from  the  hairs  of  his 
body  grew  herbs,  roots,  and  plants. 

THE  DIFFERENT  CHARACTERS  AND  RACES  OF  MEN 

are  accounted  for  in  the  Yishnu-purana  by  the  following 
legend  of  Rudra  : The  mind-engendered  progeny  of 

Brahma  were  inspired  with  holy  wisdom,  and  being 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


estranged  from  the  world,  they  were  not  desirous  of  prog- 
eny. When  Brahma  perceived  this  “ lie  was  filled  with 
wrath  capable  of  consuming  the  three  worlds  ; the 
flame  of  his  anger  invested  like  a garland  heaven, 
earth,  and  hell.  Then  from  his  forehead,  darkened  with 
angry  frowns,  sprang  Rudra,  radiant  as  the  noontide  sun, 
tierce  and  of  vast  bulk,  and  of  a figure  which  was  half 
male  and  half  female.  ‘ Separate  yourself,’  commanded 
Brahma.  Obedient  to  the  command,  Rudra  imme- 
diately disjoined  his  two  natures  and  became  twofold. 
His  male  being  he  again  divided  into  eleven  persons, 
of  whom  some  were  agreeable  and  some  were  hideous ; 
some  were  fierce  and  some  were  mild  of  disposition. 
He  also  multiplied  his  female  nature  manifold,  some  of 
them  being  of  fair  complexion  and  others  very  dark, 
or  even  black.”1 

DEVOLUTION. 

The  Upauishads  also  teach  that  the  lower  animals 
are  descended  from  man,  and  seem  to  claim  that  degen- 
eracy is  easier  than  improvement.  The  doctrine  that 
the  lower  animals  are  the  direct  descendants  of  man  is 
taught  in  the  fourth  Brahmana  and  also  in  the  Upan- 
ishads,  from  which  we  tjuote  as  follows : 

“In  the  beginning  there  was  Self  alone  in  the 
shape  of  a person  (purusha),  and  looking  around  he  saw 
nothing  but  his  Self.  He  wished  for  a second.  He 
then  made  this  his  Self  to  fall  in  two,  and  thence  arose 
husband  and  wife.” 

Then  men  were  born,  and  afterward  the  brute  cre- 


i Vish-Pur.,  Wilson’s  trans.,  p.  50. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  MAN. 


137 


ation,  whose  origin  from  degenerate  man  is  expressed  in 
the  most  explicit  terms.  “ She  became  a cow 

hence  cows  were  born.  They  then  became  one- 
hoofed  animals  . . . and  one-hoofed  animals 

were  born  . . . They  became  goats,  and  goats 

were  born  . . . They  became  sheep 

and  sheep  were  born  . . . and  thus  he 

created  everything  that  exists  in  pairs,  even  down  to 
the  ants.”  In  this  quotation  the  universal  doc- 
trine of  pantheism  is  presented  in  the  following  words  : 
“ He  knew  I,  indeed,  am  this  creation,  for  I created 
all  this.  Hence  he  became  the  creation,  and  he  who 
knows  this  lives  in  his  creation.”1 

In  intimate  connection  with  this  doctrine  of  devolu- 
tion, we  find  Prof.  Wilson  quoting  the  statement  of  the 
Commentator  Madhwa,  who  asserts  that  in  the  compil- 
ation of  his  own  work  he  consulted  eight  other  com- 
mentaries, one  of  which  was  written  by  a monkey,  and 
Prof.  Wilson’s  comment  upon  the  statement  is  that 
“ While  the  Hindu  disputant  may  believe  in  the  reality 
of  such  a compilation,  yet  we  may  receive  its  citation 
as  a proof  that  Madhwa  was  not  very  scrupulous  ?n 
the  verification  of  his  authorities.”2 

There  is  a story  in  Hindu  literature  of  a great  drama 
in  fourteen  acts,  composed  by  the  monkey  chief  Han- 
uman,  but  it  is  claimed  that  this  was  not  preserved, 
because  Valmika  feared  that  it  would  cast  his  poem 
(Bamayana)  into  the  shade.  Therefore  the  generous  ape 
who  wrote  it  threw  it  into  the  sea. 

We  read,  too,  in  the  Kamayana  of  the  ourang-outang 


1 Upanishads,  Part  2,  pp.  85,  86 


2 Wilson,  Vol.  AM,  p.  49  of  Int. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


who  lived  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Pampa.  He  is  Su- 
griva,  the  king  of  the  monkeys,  with  whom  Rama 
makes  an  alliance.  Several  of  the  monkey  generals 
are  mentioned,  and  a wonderful  feat  in  bridge  building 
by  the  privates  of  this  strange  army  is  recorded. 

If  the  Hindus  believed  that  the  monkeys  wrote  com- 
mentaries in  the  days  of  Madhwa  and  dramatic  poems 
in  the  time  of  Valmika,  that  they  commanded  armies 
and  built  bridges,  as  recorded  in  the  Ramayana,  we 
cannot  wonder  that  they  feel  that  the  theory  of  evolu- 
tion is  working  the  other  way — that  degeneracy  and 
not  development  is  the  law  of  nature,  so  far  at  least  as 
the  quadrumanous  family  is  concerned  ; and  yet  we  find 
a certain  class  of  the  natives  of  India  advocating  the 
claims  of  the  Sankhya  philosophy. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


METEMPSYCHOSIS. 

TRANSMIGRATION  NOT  TAUGHT  IN  THE  RIG-VEDA  — THE 
TRIPLE  SYSTEM  OF  TRANSMIGRATION — THE  DOCTRINE 
OF  THE  CHANDOGYA  — GREATEST  DANGER  DURING 
TRANSMIGRATION — DISTINCTION  BETWEEN  ASCEND- 
ING AND  DESCENDING  SOULS  — HINDU  EXPLANATION 
OF  INEQUALITIES  OF  FORTUNE  — SINS  AGAINST  CASTE 
RECEIVE  THE  GREATEST  PUNISHMENT  — NO  CRIME 
BECOMES  A SIN  IF  THE  WORDS  OF  THE  RIG-VEDA  BE 
REMEMBERED. 

rpHE  Kig-veda,  not  being  a doctrinal  work,  does  not 
teach  the  theory  of  metempsychosis  in  any  decided 
way.  But  there  are  frequent  allusions  to  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  and  one  of  the  hymns  in  the  last  Mandala  is 
addressed  to  the  spirits  of  departed  ancestors,  who  have 
attained  to  a state  of  heavenly  bliss  and  are  supposed 
to  occupy  three  stages  of  blessedness,  the  highest  inhab- 
iting the  upper  sky,  the  middle  the  intermediate  air,  and 
the  lowest  the  regions  of  the  atmosphere  near  the  earth. 

THE  TRIPLE  SYSTEM  OF  TRANSMIGRATION. 

A most  elaborate  theory,  however,  of  the  transmi- 
gration of  the  souls  of  men  through  plants,  animals, 
and  gods,  was  inculcated  in  the  Code  of  Manu,  which, 
dates  back  to  about  500  years  B.  C.  According  to 

139 


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Manu  (12:3),  every  act  and  every  thought  produces 
either  good  or  evil  fruit,  and  the  various  transmigra- 
tions of  men  are  the  result  of  their  conduct  upon 
earth.  A threefold  alternative  is  presented  to  the  soul  : 
it  may  pass  through  deities,  through  men,  or  through 
beasts  and  plants.  It  will  go  through  deities  if  good- 
ness predominates  in  its  nature  ; through  men  if  it  is 
ruled  by  passion  ; through  beasts  and  plants  if  it  dwells 
still  lower  in  the  moral  scale.  Each  of  these  three 
degrees  of  transmigration  has  three  sub-degrees.  The 
highest  and  first  is  Brahma  himself,  and  the  lowest  is 
either  a vegetable  or  a mineral.  But  souls  in  these 
latter  forms  may  ascend  through  various  insects,  fish, 
reptiles,  snakes,  tortoises,  etc.1  “Let  the  man  who 
has  renounced  the  world  reflect  on  the  transmigration 
of  men  caused  by  their  acts  ; on  their  downfall  into 
hell  and  their  torments  in  the  abode  of  Yama ; on 
their  formation  again  in  the  womb  and  the  glidings  of 
the  soul  through  ten  millions  of  other  wombs.”2 

A passage  in  the  Satapatha-brahmana  is  quoted  by 
Weber  and  Dr.  Muir,  asserting  that  in  a future  state 
animals  and  plants  will  revenge  upon  men  the  injuries 
and  death  received  here.  The  absence  of  all  memory 
of  wrong  done,  and  indeed  of  all  consciousness  of  a 
former  existence,  does  not  appear  to  the  Hindu  as 
any  objection  to  this  creed  which  has  been  handed  down 
to  him  through  so  many  generations,  although  mythol- 
ogy claims  to  record  cases  where  men  were  gifted  with 
the  power  of  remembering  former  existences. 

The  Upanishads  which  contain  the  doctrinal  teach- 
ings of  the  Vedas  have  not  by  any  means  neglected  the 


i Manu,  1 : 240. 


26:  61-63. 


METEMPSYCHOSIS. 


141 


doctrine  of  metempsychosis,  which  forms  so  important 
a part  of  the  Hindu  faith.  This  doctrine  is  found  and 
most  enthusiastically  taught  in  the  very  first  of  the 
series. 

DOCTRINE  OF  THE  CHANDOGYA  UPANISHAD. 

This  book,  belonging  to  the  Yajur-veda,  has  sup- 
plied the  most  important  materials  for  what  is  called 
the  Vedanta,  which  is  the  end,  the  purpose,  and  the 
highest  object  of  the  Veda. 

This  Upanishad  teaches  that  after  various  changes, 
the  bodies  of  those  who  have  performed  good  works 
are  turned  to  water ; so  that  when  a man  is  dead  and 
his  body  burned,  the  water  from  the  body  rises  upward 
with  the  smoke  and  carries  him  to  the  moon,  where  he 
enjoys  the  fruit  of  his  good  works  as  long  as  they  last. 
When,  like  the  oil  in  the  lamp,  they  are  consumed,  he 
is  obliged  to  return  to  a new  round  of  existences. 

“When  born  he  (man)  lives  whatever  the  length 
of  his  life  may  be.  When  he  has  departed  his  friends 
carry  him  as  appointed  to  the  fire,  from  whence  he 
came  and  from  whence  he  sprang.”1 

1.  “ Those  who  know  this,  and  those  who  in  the 
forest  follow  faith  and  austerities  go  to  light ; from 
light  to  day,  from  day  to  the  light  half  of  the  moon  ; 
from  the  light  half  of  the  moon  to  the  six  months 
when  the  sun  goes  to  the  north  ; from  the  six  months 
when  the  sun  goes  to  the  north,  to  the  year  ; from  the 
year  to  the  sun  ; from  the  sun  to  the  moon  ; from  the 
moon  to  the  lightning.  There  is  a person  not  human. 


i 5th  Prap.,  9th  Khan. 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


142 

2.  “ He  leads  them  to  Brahman ; this  is  the  path 
of  the  Devas. 

3.  “ But  they  who  living  in  a village  practice 
sacrifices,  works  of  public  utility,  and  alms,  they  go  to 
the  smoke  ; from  smoke  to  night ; from  night  to  the 
dark  half  of  the  moon  ; from  the  dark  half  of  the 
moon  to  the  six  months  when  the  sun  goes  to  the 
south  ; hut  they  do  not  reach  the  year. 

4.  “ From  the  months  they  go  to  the  world  of  the 
fathers ; from  the  world  of  the  fathers  to  the  ether  ; 
from  the  ether  to  the  moon.  That  is  Soma,  the  king. 
Here  they  are  loved  (eaten)  by  the  Devas ; yes,  the 
Devas  love  (eat)  them. 

5.  “ Having  dwelt  there  till  their  good  works  are 
consumed,  they  return  again  the  way  they  came  to  the 
ether ; from  the  ether  to  the  air.  Then  the  sacrificer 
having  become  air,  he  becomes  smoke.  Having  become 
smoke,  he  becomes  mist. 

6.  ‘‘Having  become  mist,  he  becomes  a cloud; 
having  become  a cloud,  he  rains  down.  Then  he  is 
born  as  rice  and  corn,  herbs,  and  trees,  and  beans. 
From  thence  the  escape  is  beset  with  most  difficul- 
ties, for  whoever  the  persons  may  be  who  eat  the 
food  and  beget  offspring,  he  henceforth  becomes  like 
unto  them. 

7.  “Those  whose  conduct  has  been  good  will 
quickly  attain  to  some  good  birth.  But  those  whose 
conduct  has  been  evil  will  quickly  attain  to  an  evil 
birth — the  birth  of  a dog,  or  a hog. 

8.  “ On  neither  of  these  two  ways  those  small  creat- 
ures (flies  and  worms)  are  continually  returning,  of 
whom  it  may  be  said,  they  live  and  die.  Theirs  is  a 


METEMPSYCHOSIS. 


143 


third  place.  Therefore,  that  world  never  becomes 
full.  Hence,  let  a man  take  care  to  himself.”1 

TIME  OF  GREATEST  DANGER  DURING  TRANSMIGRATION. 

In  these  stages  of  transmigration,  the  greatest  danger 
is  incurred  after  the  man  has  been  changed  into  rain. 
For  if  the  rain  should  fall  into  the  sea  it  might  be 
swallowed  up  by  the  fishes ; if  it  should  fall  upon  a 
desert  it  might  be  swallowed  by  serpents  or  other  rep- 
tiles ; so  that  it  would  require  an  almost  endless  round 
of  existences  to  reach  any  comfortable  degree  either  of 
intelligence  or  dignity.  But  even  if  the  rain  is  fortu- 
nate enough  to  be  absorbed  by  the  rice,  the  corn,  and 
the  beans,  these  products  might  be  eaten  by  a man 
who  has  foresworn  marriage,  in  which  case  the  victim 
of  unfortunate  circumstances  would  lose  the  opportu- 
nity of  a new  and  more  desirable  birth.  There  are  also 
perils  arising  from  the  uncertain  character  of  the  man 
who  eats  the  rice  and  corn,  who  thus  becomes  a new 
seed,  and  still  another  danger  that  even  if  he  is  good 
himself,  he  may  marry  a wicked  wife,  and  make  her 
the  mother  of  this  wandering  soul.  All  these  dangers 
must  be  safely  passed  before  a new  birth  as  a Brahman, 
Kshatriya,  or  Vaisya  can  be  secured. 

DISTINCTION  BETWEEN  ASCENDING  AND  DESCENDING 

SOULS. 

Another  peculiar  distinction  is  made  by  Sankara 
. in  his  commentary.  There  are  some,  he  says,  who 
assume  the  form  of  rice  and  corn,  etc.,  not  in  their 
descent  from  a higher  world,  as  described  in  the  Upani- 


l 5th  Prap.,  14th  Khan, 


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shad,  but  as  a definite  punishment  for  certain  evil 
deeds  which  they  have  committed.  They  remain  in 
that  state  until  the  consequences  of  their  evil  deeds 
are  past,  when  they  assume  a new  body,  like  caterpil- 
lars. These  guilty  ones  retain  a consciousness  of  these 
states  and  of  the  acts  which  caused  them  to  assume 
the  particular  body  which  they  wear. 

This  is  not  the  case  with  those  who,  in  their  de- 
scent from  the  moon,  pass  through  the  same  vegetable 
forms ; for  while  in  their  ascent  to  the  moon  they  are 
conscious,  they  lose  this  consciousness  in  coming  down. 
Otherwise,  a man  who  by  his  good  works  deserved  re- 
wards in  the  moon  would  suffer  while  corn  is  being 
ground  the  very  tortures  of  hell,  and  the  object  of 
good  works,  as  taught  by  the  Veda,  would  be  defeated. 
As  a man  who  is  made  unconscious  by  a severe  blow, 
so  it  is  with  souls  in  their  descent,  until  they  are 
born  again  as  men  and  thus  get  a new  start  toward 
the  highest  Brahman.1 

HINDU  EXPLANATION  OF  INEQUALITIES  OF  FORTUNE. 

The  popular  theory  is  that  every  being  must  pass 
through  eighty-four  lakhs  of  births,  a lakh  being  one 
hundred  thousand,  making  a grand  total  of  eight  mill- 
lion,  four  hundred  thousand  births  for  every  human 
being.  By  this  doctrine  the  Hindus  easily  explain 
all  inequalities  of  fortune  and  all  diversities  of  char- 
acter. The  fortunate  are  supposed  to  be  enjoying  the 
benefits  of  their  good  deeds  in  a former  life,  while 
the  unfortunate  man,  however  virtuous  he  may  be,  is 
being  punished  for  former  misdeeds.  Even  intellect- 


l Upanisbads,  Pt.  I,  pp.  81-83. 


METEMPSYCHOSIS. 


145 


ual  strength  or  ability  in  any  given  direction  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  acquired  by  careful  training  in  some 
previous  form  of  existence,  and  to  have  been  cultivated 
through  millions  of  previous  bodies.  Disease  is  looked 
upon  as  a legitimate  punishment,  not  for  disobedience 
to  nature’s  laws,  but  for  some  sin  committed  in  a pre- 
vious state  — a murder,  or  the  omission  of  some  pen- 
ance, or  some  act  of  disrespect  toward  the  priesthood. 

SINS  AGAINST  CASTE  OR  THE  PRIESTHOOD  RECEIVE  THE 
GREATEST  PUNISHMENT. 

It  is  noticeable,  however,  that  the  ecclesiastical  sins 
and  offenses  against  caste  are  more  severely  punished 
than  the  crimes  against  morality.  For  instance,  if  a 
man  steals  grain,  he  will  be  born  a mouse  ; if  he  steals 
brass,  he  will  be  born  a gander  ; but  if  a Brahman  neg- 
lects his  own  appointed  caste,  he  will  be  born  a vomit- 
eating  demon.  If  a Kshatriya  violates  the  rules  of  his 
caste,  he  will  be  born  a demon,  feeding  on  excrement  and 
dead  bodies.  If  a Yaisya  is  guilty  of  the  same  offense, 
he  will  become  a demon,  feeding  on  putrid  carrion. 

NO  CRIME  BECOMES  A SIN  TO  A BRAHMAN  IF  THE 
WORDS  OF  THE  RIG-VEDA  BE  REMEMBERED. 

But  there  is  no  crime  so  heinous  that  it  cannot  be 
forgiven,  provided  only  the  criminal  is  a priest  and  re- 
tains his  caste  remembering  the  sacred  text.  Hence, 
it  is  said  in  the  Code  of  Mann,  “ A Brahman  by  re- 
taining the  Big-veda  in  his  memory  incurs  no  guilt 
though  he  should  destroy  the  inhabitants  of  the  three 
worlds,  and  even  eat  food  from  the  foulest  hands.”1 


i Book  II,  26. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS. 


IMMORTALITY  OF  THE  SOUL  — HEAVEN  ONLY  A STEI’- 
PING-STONE  TO  HAPPINESS  — EXPERIENCE  OF  THE 
FAITHFUL  HINDU  — THE  HEAVEN  OF  INDRA — THE 
HEAVEN  OF  VISHNU  — FUTURE  PUNISHMENT — TWEN- 
TY-ONE HELLS  — VICTIMS  SEE  THE  INHABITANTS  OF 
HEAVEN — TRANSMIGRATION  OF  SINNERS. 

HE  survival  of  the  soul  after  the  death  of  the 


body  is  everywhere  implied ; but  Mann’s  doctrine 
is  that  if  a man  has  been  wicked  the  soul  is  clothed 
in  a body  composed  of  coarse  and  impure  elements, 
which  goes  with  it  into  hell ; whereas,  if  he  has  been 
virtuous,  the  soul  is  invested  with  a luminous  and 
ethereal  body,  composed  of  the  purer  elements  of  air 
and  fire,  and  this  body  goes  with  the  righteous  soul 
into  heaven. 

A place  of  reward  and  punishment  is  indeed  very 
necessary  for  the  proper  compensation  of  man’s  conduct, 
but  neither  the  reward  of  heaven  nor  the  punishment 
of  hell,  according  to  the  Hindu  theology,  is  full,  ef- 
fectual, or  final. 

HEAVEN  ONLY  A STEPPING-STONE  TO  HAPPINESS. 

The  heavens  of  the  Hindu  system  are  only  steps  on 
the  road  to  complete  happiness,  and  the  hells,  though 

146 


REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS. 


147 


places  of  terrible  torture,  are  merely  temporary  purga- 
tions. 

The  soul  must  leave  both  heaven  and  hell,  and  re- 
turn to  corporeal  existence,  migrating  into  higher,  in- 
termediate and  lower  forms,  according  to  its  degrees  of 
guilt  or  virtue,  and  passing  in  its  progress  towards 
emancipation  from  separate  existence,  through  the  four 
stages  of  bliss,  called  saloka  (living  in  the  same  heaven 
with  God)  ; samipya  (nearness  to  God)  ; sarupya  (as- 
similation to  the  likeness  of  God),  and  sayujva,  when 
a complete  union  with  the  Supreme  is  attained. 

EXPERIENCE  OF  THE  FAITHFUL  HINDU. 

The  faithful  Hindu  after  death  soon  reaches  the 
path  of  the  gods  and  comes  to  the  world  of  fire  and 
air — to  the  world  of  Indra  and  Brahma.  Here  is  the 
beautiful  river  of  eternal  youth,  whose  banks  are 
crowned  with  majestic  trees,  and  by  whose  side  stands 
the  city  and  the  palace  of  “the  unconquerable.”  Here 
is  the  magnificent  hall  of  Brahman,  with  the  imperial 
throne  and  luxurious  couch  of  splendor.  Here  also 
are  the  crystal  streams  which  lead  to  the  knowledge 
of  Brahman.  When  the  devotee  approaches,  Brahman 
orders  his  servants  to  run  and  meet  him,  and  to  render 
him  the  same  homage  which  they  yield  to  their  lord. 
Then  five  hundred  celestial  nymphs  approach  him. 
One  hundred  of  them  bring  him  beautiful  garlands  of 
flowers ; one  hundred  bear  precious  ointments ; one 
hundred  come  laden  with  choice  perfumes ; one  hun- 
dred are  burdened  with  rich  and  luxurious  garments  for 
his  apparel,  and  one  hundred  bring  the  choicest  fruits 
for  his  enjoyment,  and  adorn  him  like  Brahman  himself. 


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TIIE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


In  the  beautiful  waves  of  the  ageless  river  lie  shakes 
off  his  good  and  evil  deeds,  and  receives  the  crown 
of  eternal  youth.  The  good  deeds  here  disposed  of  are 
bequeathed  to  his  beloved  relatives,  who  are  to  receive 
the  benefits  arising  from  them,  while  his  unfortunate 
relatives,  who  are  not  beloved,  receive  the  full  value  of 
his  transgressions. 

He  approaches  the  beautiful  tree  Ilya,  and  the  odor 
of  Brahman  reaches  him.  He  approaches  the  great 
city,  and  finds  there  the  flavor  of  Brahman.  He  then 
approaches  the  magnificent  palace,  and  the  splendor  of 
Brahman  greets  him.  He  approaches  the  spacious 
hall,  and  the  glory  of  Brahman  meets  his  eyes.  He 
finally  comes  to  the  great  throne  and  the  royal  couch, 
where  he  finds  Brahman  himself,  who  catechises  him 
very  carefully  and,  his  answers  being  satisfactory,  be- 
stows the  whole  Brahman  world  upon  him.1 

HEAVEN  OF  IXDRA. 

The  beautiful  heaven  of  Indra  is  supposed  to  be  sit- 
uated upon  the  very  summit  of  Mount  Meru,  which  is 
the  centre  of  the  earth  and  many  thousand  miles  in 
height.  Here  the  heavenly  gardens  are  found  planted 
with  luxuriant  trees,  which  are  burdened  with  delicious 
fruits.  The  fragrant  groves  are  haunted  with  fairy 
nymphs,  whose  faces  and  forms  are  visions  of  loveliness. 
Low,  sweet  strains  of  music  are  borne  upon  the  air. 
The  city  of  Indra  is  eight  hundred  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence and  forty  miles  high.  Its  pillars  are  of  diamonds 
and  its  palaces  are  of  pure  gold.  The  air  is  laden  with 
the  rich  perfume  of  the  rose-colored  flowers  of  the 


i Kaushitaki  Upanisbad,  1-3. 


REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS. 


149 


Camalata,  the  beauty  of  which  has  brought  it  the  name 
of  Love's  Creeper  ; by  this  delicate  flower  all  wishes  are 
granted  to  the  inmates  of  Indra’s  heaven. 

THE  HEAVEN  OF  VISHNU. 

The  home  of  Vishnu  is  built  entirely  of  gold  and  is 
much  larger  than  Indra’s,  being  eighty  thousand  miles 
in  circumference.  The  crystal  waters  of  the  Ganges 
fall  from  the  higher  heavens  upon  the  head  of  Siva, 
and  from  there  into  the  hair  of  the  seven  sages,  from 
which  they  descend  to  the  earth  and  form  a river.  On 
a throne  of  white  lotus  blossoms  sits  Vishnu,  and  his 
wife  Lakshml  beside  him.  She  is  radiant  with  the  splen- 
dor of  precious  stones,  and  the  sweet  perfume  of  her 
body  extends  eight  hundred  miles. 

FUTURE  PUNISHMENT. 

Realizing  that  this  is  a subject  which  attracts  uni- 
versal interest,  the  Hindu  philosophers  have  elabor- 
ated it  very  extensively.  They  have  provided  ample 
accommodations  for  sinners  of  all  classes  and  degrees,  in 
twenty-one  hells  of  various  descriptions,  each  of  which 
is  provided  with  an  unpi'onounceable  name  in  addition 
to  other  horrors. 

The  names  and  number  of  these  places  of  pun- 
ishment vary  with  different  authors,  the  Vishnu- 
purana  and  also  the  Bhagavata  giving  a list  of 
twenty-eight  instead  of  twenty-one.  The  names  of 
these  places  of  punishment  as  translated  are : 1st, 

darkness;  2d,  complete  darkness;  3d,  place  of 
howling ; 4th,  place  of  much  howling ; 5th,  thread 
of  time  or  death  ; 6th,  great  hell  ; 7th,  restoring 


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to  life  ; 8th,  waveless  ; 9th,  burning  ; 10th,  parching ; 
11th,  pressing  together ; 12th,  ravens ; 13th,  bud ; 
14th,  stinking  clay ; 15th,  iron  spiked  ; 16th,  frying- 
pan  ; 17tli,  rough  or  uneven  roads  ; 18th,  thorny  sal- 
rnali  tree  ; 19tli,  flame  river,  which  has  a fearful  odor 
and  is  full  of  blood  (it  is  a torrent  of  hot  water  car- 
rying bones,  hair,  and  other  refuse  in  its  course)  ; 
20th,  the  sword-leaved  forest ; 21st,  iron  fetters. 

This  enumeration  is  from  the  institutes  of  Vishnu. 
The  Purana  has  also  the  following  details:  “Men 
when  they  die  are  hound  with  cords  by  the  servants  of 
King  Tartarus,  and  beaten  with  sticks,  and  have  then 
to  encounter  the  fierce  aspect  of  Yama,  and  the  hor- 
rors of  their  terrible  route.  In  the  different  hells  there 
are  various  intolerable  tortures,  with  burning  sand,  fire, 
machines,  and  weapons.  Some  are  severed  with  saws, 
some  roasted  in  forges,  some  are  chopped  with  axes, 
some  buried  in  the  ground,  some  are  mounted  on 
stakes,  some  cast  to  wild  beasts  to  be  devoured,  some 
are  gnawed  by  vultures,  some  torn  by  tigers,  some  are 
boiled  in  oil,  some  rolled  in  caustic  slime,  some  are 
preci]ntated  from  great  heights,  some  are  tossed 
upwards  by  engines.  The  number  of  punishments 
inflicted  in  hell,  is  infinite.’’1  There  is  also  a descrip- 
tion of  the  Krishna,  a black  hell,  a red-hot  iron  hell 
which  appears  to  have  been  prepared  expressly  for  trai- 
tors and  horse  dealers,  a swine  hell  which  is  provided 
for  wdne  drinkers  and  for  those  who  associate  with 
them,  and  the  “hell  of  pincers”  for  those  who  violate 
vows  or  break  the  rules  of  their  order.  “ These  hells,” 
say  the  Purana,  and  indeed  “hundreds  and  thousands  of 


i Vis.  Pur.,  Wilson’s  trans.,  p.  640. 


rewards  and  PUNISHMENTS. 


151 


others  are  the  places  in  which  sinners  pay  the  penalty 
of  their  crimes.  As  numerous  as  the  offences  which 
men  commit  are  the  hells  in  which  they  are 
punished.”1 

VICTIMS  SEE  THE  INHABITANTS  OF  HEAVEN. 

The  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  beheld  by  the  suffer- 
ers in  hell  as  they  move  with  their  heads  inverted, 
whilst  the  gods,  as  they  cast  their  eyes  downward, 
behold  the  sufferings  of  those  in  hell.  This  arrange- 
ment has  a twofold  purpose.  It  serves  to  enhance 
the  sufferings  of  the  wicked  and  to  temper  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  righteous,  who  are  thereby  reminded  that 
even  the  happiness  of  heaven  is  but  temporary  in  its 
duration ; for  when  they  have  received  their  due  pro- 
portion of  reward,  they,  too,  must  be  born  again  as 
stones  or  plants,  or  must  gradually  migrate  through 
the  inferior  conditions  until  they  again  become  human. 
After  this  their  future  is  in  their  own  hands,  and 
their  future  births  are  in  direct  proportion  to  their 
merit. 

The  time  to  be  spent  in  hell  is  a kalpa  (two  bill- 
ions and  one  hundred  and  sixty  millions  of  years).  The 
criminal  then  reaches  the  stage  of  metempsychosis, 
when  he  is  relieved  from  the  acute  sufferings  and  has 
an  opportunity  to  ascend  to  a higher  mode  of  exist- 
ence through  the  bodies  of  worms,  reptiles,  or  demons. 
For  instance,  a gold  stealer  must  pass  a thousand 
times  into  the  bodies  of  spiders,  snakes  and  noxious 
demons ; a spirit  drinker  becomes  a worm,  insect,  or 
moth. 

l Vish.  Pur.,  Wilson's  trails.,  p.  209. 


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In  these  various  changes  there  is  sometimes  a curi- 
ous consistency.  For  instance,  a man  who  has  stolen 
perfumery  becomes  a musk-rat  ; one  who  has  stolen 
grain  becomes  a rat ; one  who  has  stolen  water  becomes 
a water-fowl ; one  who  has  stolen  honey  becomes  a 
gad-fly ; one  who  has  stolen  meat  becomes  a vulture  ; 
one  who  has  stolen  oil  becomes  a cockroach  ; one  who 
has  stolen  linen  becomes  a frog,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

When  the  evil-doers  have  undergone  all  these  trans- 
migrations and  passed  through  various  animal  bodies, 
they  are  born  as  human  beings,  with  the  following 
marks  indicating  their  crime  : A criminal  of  the  high- 
est degree  has  leprosy  ; a killer  of  Brahmans,  pulmon- 
ary consumption  ; a drinker  of  spirits,  black  teeth  ; a 
malignant  informer,  an  offensive  breath  ; a stealer  of 
food,  dyspepsia ; the  breaker  of  a convention,  a bald 
head.  After  these  changes  and  a multitude  of  others 
follows  a list  of  penances  comprising  many  pages.1 

Having  briefly  presented  the  character  and  teaching 
of  the  Upanishads  with  correlative  testimony  from  other 
works,  we  shall  now  consider  a much  more  fascinating 
department  of  Sanskrit  literature.  Following  the  Upan- 
ishads chronologically  come  the  Epics  of  the  Hindus,  a 
very  important  division  of  their  literature.  The  Ka- 
mayana  and  the  Maha-bharata  are  the  two  great  poems 
of  India  and,  although  by  no  means  historical  from  a 
European  point  of  view,  they  comprise  nearly  all  of 
history  that  we  have  from  Hindu  sources. 


i Institutes  of  Vish.,  pp.  140-149. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE  RAMAYANA. 

ONE  OF  THE  SACRED  EPICS  OF  INDIA — THE  LAND  OF 
THE  HINDU — THE  RAMAYAXA  AND  THE  ILIAD — 
HELEN  AND  SlTA — HECTOR  CHAINED  TO  THE  CHAR- 
IOT WHEEL — FUNERAL  HONORS  PAID  TO  RAVANA — 
AGE  OF  THE  RAMAYANA — THE  SANCTITY  OF  THE 
POEM — AUTHOR  OF  THE  WORK — BASIS  OF  THE  POEM 
— LENGTH  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

r I HIE  land  of  the  Hindu  is  the  natural  birthplace  of 
poetry  and  song.  The  great  Himalayas,  with  rai- 
ment of  cloud  and  robe  of  sunlight,  seem  to  commune 
with  the  stars  that  crown  with  radiance  their  snowy 
brows ; in  their  wild  crags  are  the  silvery  fountains  of 
the  rivers  which  flash  and  sparkle  through  forest  and 
vale.  The  Ganges,  the  “ bride  of  the  heavens,”  receives 
in  her  crystal  tide  the  sins  of  her  people  and  bears 
them  away  between  her  flowery  banks.  The  wild  swans 
float  amid  the  lotus  blossoms  upon  her  bosom,  and  the 
gazelles  come  down  to  slake  their  thirst  at  her  sacred 
brink. 

The  tropical  forest  is  darkened  with  the  shade  of 
lofty  trees  and  perfumed  with  the  odor  of  a thousand 
blossoms.  The  long,  deep  grass  and  feathery  ferns  are 
kissed  here  and  there  by  the  stray  sunbeams  that  And 
their  way  between  the  glossy  leaves  of  dense  thickets, 

153 


154 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  the  dreamy  song  of  the  kokila  is  borne  on  the 
air. 

The  wide  plains  are  illumined  with  the  dazzling 
flowers  of  the  cactus  and  the  snowy  wreath  of  jessa- 
mine blossoms,  while  here  and  there  the  sweet  lime-tree 
and  feathery  acacia  wave  their  delicate  boughs  in  the 
sunlight,  and  the  orange  groves  unfold  their  pearly  cups 
of  rich  perfume. 

Delicate  butterflies  float  slowly  away  on  the  fragrant 
air,  and  golden  bees  nestle  amid  the  rose  petals  and 
revel  in  life  and  beauty. 

Down  by  the  gleaming  shores  of  the  ever  sounding 
sea,  the  white-crested  waves  come  marching  in ; with 
song  and  psalm  and  chanted  praise  they  come,  and  the 
children  of  the  wildwood  hear  in  their  waves  the  song 
of  the  sea-nymphs,  and  see  in  coral  groves  the  home 
of  the  ocean  queen.  So  they  bring  oblations  to  the 
fair  goddess  of  the  sea,  who  is  robed  in  azure  and  pearl, 
with  garlands  of  scarlet  flowers  in  her  heavy  hair  and 
her  snowy  hands  gleaming  amidst  the  darkling  waves. 

Above  the  mountain  crest  and  beyond  the  silvery 
sea  is  the  changeful  sky  of  crimson  and  gold — of  ame- 
thyst and  azure — which  is  to  them  the  “Mantle  of 
Indra.”  Whether  this  radiant  mantle  is  tinted  with 
the  rosy  light  of  morning,  or  gilded  with  the  golden 
glory  of  noon,  or  flashing  with  diamonds  in  the  halls  of 
night,  it  receives  the  earnest  adoration  of  the  worship- 
ers. They  bring  their  oblations  to  the  morning  light, 
their  songs  of  praise  to  the  god  of  day,  and  their  rever- 
ent thanksgiving  to  the  silvery  soma  that  illumines 
the  night.  The  imagination  of  the  Hindu  has  long 
been  cultivated  by  the  beautiful  scenes  around  him. 


155 


THE  RAMAYANA. 

and  the  results  are  manifested,  not  only  in  the  songs 
of  the  Vedas,  but  also  in  the  great  Hindu  Epics. 

The  two  colossal  poems  of  Sanskrit  literature,  the 
Ramayana  and  the  Maha-bharata,  have  been  called 
“ The  Iliad  and  the  Odyssey  of  the  Hindus.” 

THE  RAMAYANA  AND  THE  ILIAD. 

The  Ramayana  has  been  beautifully  termed  “ The 
Iliad  of  the  East,”  and  in  some  respects  this  great  In- 
dian production  does  resemble  the  Grecian  classic. 

The  subject  of  both  Epics  is  a war  undertaken  to 
recover  the  wife  of  one  of  the  warriors,  who  was  car- 
ried off  by  the  hero  on  the  other  side.  In  this  respect 
Rama,  the  hero  of  the  Ramayana,  corresponds  to  Men- 
elaus,  while  in  others  he  more  nearly  represents 
Achilles.  Ayodhya  may  be  compared  to  Sparta  and 
Lanka  to  Troy.  But  it  would  be  unjust  to  compare 
Sita,  the  chaste  and  beautiful  wife  of  Rama,  with  the 
treacherous  Helen.  The  Indian  princess,  pleading 
eloquently  to  be  allowed  to  follow  her  husband  into 
exile,  is  a loyal,  loving  woman,  while  the  beautiful 
Helen  is  a faithless,  fickle  wife,  utterly  unworthy  of 
the  life-blood  of  an  honest  man. 

The  desertions  of  Ayodhya  and  of  Lanka  imply 
greater  luxury  and  a higher  degree  of  refinement  than 
those  of  Sparta  and  Troy.  But  so  far  as  art  and  har- 
mony are  concerned  the  Asiatic  poems  cannot  com- 
pete with  those  of  Greece.  The  Ramayana  and  Maha- 
bharata  are  burdened  with  description  and  simile,  with 
wearisome  repetition  and  amplification,  while  the  Iliad 
and  Odyssey  have  the  polish  and  the  rounded  propor- 
tions of  Grecian  sculpture. 


156 


TIIE  ANCIENT  HOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  Indian  Epics  sometimes  lay  aside  all  delicacy 
and  give  the  most  revolting  particulars  of  ancient  leg- 
ends, but  the  Kamayana  shows  far  more  humanity  to  a 
fallen  foe  than  does  the  Iliad. 

The  duty  of  returning  good  for  evil,  which  had  been 
so  clearly  taught  in  a previous  age,1  is  well  illustrated  in 
the  character  of  Rama,  who  ordered  elaborate  funeral 
honors  to  be  paid  to  his  conquered  foe. 

In  striking  contrast  with  this  scene  is  the  barbarous 
picture  so  vividly  described  in  the  Iliad  when  the  dying 
Hector  pleaded  with  his  foe  : 

“ By  thy  own  soul,  by  those  who  gave  thee  breath, 
By  all  the  sacred  prevalence  of  prayer, 

Ah,  leave  me  not  for  Grecian  dogs  to  tear! 

The  common  rites  of  sepulture  bestow, 

To  soothe  a father’s  and  a mother’s  woe. 

Let  their  large  gift  procure  an  urn,  at  least, 

And  Hector’s  ashes  in  his  country  rest.” 

But  the  furious  Greek,  who  is  almost  glorified  by 
Homer,  degrades  his  own  manhood  and  taunts  the  dying 
man  with  insult  : 

“ No,  Avretch  accursed,  relentless  he  replies, 

(Flames  as  he  spoke  shot  flashing  from  His  eyes), 

Not  those  who  gave  me  breath  should  bid  me  spare. 
Nor  all  the  sacred  prevalence  of  prayer ; 

Could  I myself  the  bloody  banquet  join. 

No — to  the  dogs  that  carcass  I resign. 

Should  Troy,  to  bribe  me,  bring  forth  all  her  store, 
And  giving  thousands,  offer  thousands  more, 

lEx.  xxiii:  4,  5;  2d  Sam.  xvi:  12;  Prov.  xxv:  21,  22. 


THE  RAMAYANA. 


157 


Should  Dardon  Priam  and  his  weeping  dame, 

Drain  their  whole  realm  to  buy  one  funeral  flame, 
Their  Hector  on  the  pile  they  should  not  see, 

Nor  rob  the  vultures  of  one  limb  of  thee.” 

The  funeral  pyre  of  Havana  was  adorned  with 
wreaths  of  flowers  and  costly  jewels  at  the  command 
of  the  victor,  while  the  body  of  the  gallant  Hector 
was  chained  to  the  chariot  wheel  of  Achilles  and 
dragged  around  the  walls  of  Troy,  in  full  view  of  his 
aged  father  and  broken-hearted  mother. 


“ Purple  the  ground  and  streak  the  sable  sand, 
Defamed,  dishonored  in  his  native  land. 

And  the  whole  city  wears  one  face  of  woe, 

No  less  than  if  the  rage  of  hostile  fires. 

From  the  foundations  curling  to  her  spires. 

O’er  the  proud  citadel  at  length  should  rise. 

And  the  last  blaze  send  Ilion  to  the  skies.” 

AGE  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

Quite  a difference  of  opinion  prevails  among  schol- 
ars in  relation  to  the  age  of  this  work.  Dowson  and 
Sir  Monier  'Williams  claim  its  earliest  origin  to  be  about 
500  B.  C.,  and  Williams  speaks  of  “the  beginning  of 
the  third  century  B.  C.”  as  the  time  of  the  first  orderly 
completion  of  the  work  in  its  briihmanized  form.  He 
also  assigns  a portion  of  it  to  the  early  centuries  of 
our  own  era. 

Prof.  Weber  claims  that  it  belongs  to  the  begin- 


i Ind.  Wis.,  pp.  319,  330. 


158 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ning  of  the  Christian  era  “after  the  operation  of  Creek 
influence  upon  India  had  already  set  in.”1 

The  noted  Indian  scholar,  Kashinath  Trimbak  Te- 
lang,  in  a note  on  the  Ramayana  says,  “ The  received 
chronology  refuses  to  allow  to  the  bulk  of  classical 
literature  an  antiquity  of  more  than  eighteen  centuries, 
if  so  much.”2 

But  while  there  is  a variety  of  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject, it  seems  to  be  well  established  that  the  work  be- 
longs to  an  age  subsequent  to  the  Iliad,  and  this  fact 
in  connection  with  the  striking  similarities  of  the  two 
poems  certainly  gives  some  weight  to  the  opinion  of 
Prof.  Weber  that  the  Indian  poets  really  borrowed  ideas 
from  Homer. 

THE  SACREDNESS  OF  THE  POEM. 

The  Ramayana  is  held  to  be  one  of  the  most  sacred 
of  all  the  Hindu  productions.3  Like  other  works  of 
the  same  class,  it  boldly  lays  claim  to  supernatural 
powers,  declaring  that  “ Whoever  reads  or  hears  the 
Ramayana  will  be  freed  from  all  sin  Those 

who  read  or  hear  it  for  the  sake  of  riches  will  cer- 
tainly acquire  wealth.  . . . The  Ramayana  heals 

diseases,  removes  all  fear  of  enemies,  compensates  for 
the  loss  of  wealth  or  fame,  prevents  loss  of  life,  and 
secures  all  that  is  desired.  The  mere  utterance  of  the 
name  of  Rama  is  equal  in  religious  merit  to  the  giv- 
ing of  a hundred  ornamented  cows  to  a Brahman,  or 

l Sans.  Lit.,  p.  194.  2 ind.  Ant.,  Vol.  iii,  p.  287. 

3 The  Hindus,  who  are  the  devoted  followers  of  Rama,  acknowledge 
two  bihles  in  two  different  versions  of  the  great  Epic,  the  one  by  Val- 
miki  and  the  other  by  Tulasi-dasa. 


159 


THE  BAMAYAXA. 

the  performance  of  an  Asva-medha.1  A follower  of 
Rama  enjoys  happiness  in  this  world,  and  in  the  next 
is  absorbed  into  Rama  in  the  heaven  of  Vishnu.  " Rama 
is  still  faithfully  worshiped  in  India,  and  devotees  will 
sit  for  days  and  nights  together  upon  the  sacred  banks 
of  the  Ganges  or  beneath  the  stately  pipal  trees  re- 
peating in  low  monotonous  tones,  “ Ram,  Ram.  Rama.'*’ 
The  mere  utterance  of  the  words  without  any  con- 
ception of  the  ideas  accompanving  them  will  secure 

a birth  into  a higher  life  either  to  men,  birds,  or 
animals. 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  WORK. 

The  plot  and  unity  of  the  poem  show  it  to  have 
been  originally  the  work  of  one  man  ; but  his  name  is 
lost  to  the  historian,  and  there  are  three  different  ver- 
sions now  in  existence.  The  one  best  known  and 

most  popular  among  Europeans  is  ascribed  to  Yal- 
mlki ; another  to  Tulasl-dasa,  who  was  born  A.  D. 
1544,  and  is  said  to  have  written  in  A.  D.  15 75,  two 
copies  of  whose  work,  claimed  to  be  in  his  own  hand- 
writing, are  still  preserved  in  India  ; while  the  third  is 
ascribed  to  Yyasa  (the  editor  or  arranger).  These 
authors  took  a crude  legend  which  had  for  generations 
been  repeated  from  father  to  son,  and  remodeled  and 
finished  it,  each  in  his  own  peculiar  style.  Wilkins 
and  some  other  Oriental  scholars  claim  that  the  pas- 
sages in  the  Hindu  Epics  which  speak  of  Rama  as  an 
incarnation  of  Vishnu  are  among  the  interpolations  of 
a much  later  date  than  the  original. 


i The  great  horse  sacrifice,  which  required  a year  of  preparation.  A 
hundred  of  these  offerings  entitled  the  saerificer  to  the  throne  of  Indra. 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


160 


BASIS  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

Prof.  Williams  and  J;  Tallboys  Wheeler  think  that 
it  may  have  some  foundation  in  fact ; that  at  some 
early  period  soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  Aryan 
races  in  the  plains  of  the  Ganges,  a body  of  invaders 
headed  by  a bold  leader  may  have  attempted  to  force 
their  way  into  the  peninsula  of  India,  in  which  case 
the  heroic  exploits  of  the  chief  would  naturally  become 
the  theme  of  song  and  the  hero  himself  would  be  de- 
ified. Prof.  Weber  claims  that  the  work  is  purely  al- 
legorical, being  based  upon  the  single  historical  fact 
of  the  spread  of  Aryan  civilization  toward  the  south 
and  the  feuds  connected  therewith.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
we  have  in  the  Ramayana  a mass  of  literature  which, 
although  radiant  with  Oriental  coloring,  is  a wilderness 
of  myths  and  extravagant  fables. 

LENGTH  OF  THE  POEM. 

This  interminable  Indian  Epic  consists  of  twenty- 
four  thousand  slokas,  or  verses,  but  even  this  state- 
ment ’ does  not  give  us  an  intelligible  idea  of  the 
formidable  volumes  through  which  it  leisurely  wan- 
ders. Its  literary  value  would  be  greatly  increased  by 
condensation.  Few  busy  people  of  modern  times  would 
find  time  to  read  it  in  its  present  form,  even  if  it 
possessed  the  marvelous  properties  which  are  ascribed 
to  it.  We  therefore  give  briefly  in  the  following 
chapters  the  principal  story  of  the  poem,  which  is 
here  presented  in  a simple  style  of  narration. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 


TIIE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 

AYODHYA — DASARATHA  AND  THE  ASVA-MEDHA — THE 
COXCLAVE  OF  THE  GODS  — PLEA  MADE  TO  BRAHMA — 
REFERRED  TO  VISHXU — HIS  HOME  IX  THE  SEA  OF 
MILK — REQUEST  GRAXTED  — THE  BIRTH  OF  RAMA 
— THE  BOW  OF  SIVA  — MARRIAGE  OF  RAMA — RAMA 
APPOIXTED  YUVA-RAJA  — KAIKEYI  — KAUSALYA  — 
SITA — THE  FAREWELLS  — THE  DEATH  OF  THE  RAJA 
— BHARATA. 

rpHE  opening  scene  of  this  fascinating  Indian 
romance  is  laid  in  the  ancient  city  of  Ayodhya, 
which  in  modern  times  is  called  Oude.  Beautifully 
situated  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  Sarayu,  Ayodhya 
was  in  olden  times  one  of  the  most  magnificent  cities 
of  Hindustan.  But  the  great  scythe  of  time  has  swept 
her  glories  away,  leaving  only  a pitiful  scene  of  ruin. 
Even  the  name  of  her  river  has  been  changed,  which 
now  sweeps  along  its  course  under  the  name  of  Gogra. 
She  was  the  capital  of  the  great  raj  of  Ivosala,  which  ex- 
tended from  the  Gogra  to  the  banks  of  the  Ganges. 
But  little  is  now  known  of  this  fertile  kingdom.  The 
rajas  who  governed  it  claimed  to  be  descendants  of 
the  sun,  and  hence  they  were  called  the  solar  kings. 

History  claims  that  the  ancient  Ayodhya  was  a city 
of  considerable  importance,  but  the  vivid  imagination 

181 


162 


THE  ANCIENT  1S00KS  OF  INDIA. 


of  the  Hindu  poet  has  made  it  a dream  of  fairyland. 
In  the  Ramayana  it  is  represented  as  being  built  en- 
tirely of  large  and  well-arranged  houses,  while  the 
streets  were  continually  cooled  with  streams  of  running 
water.  Its  temples  were  richly  decorated  with  gold 
and  gems,  and  its  stately  palaces  lifted  their  great 
domes  toward  the  heavens,  like  the  crowns  of  the  dis- 
tant mountain  tops. 

Its  parks  were  filled  with  tropical  flowers  and 
shaded  here  and  there  with  massive  trees.  Birds  of 
bright  plumage  darted  like  flames  through  the  heavy 
foliage.  Crystal  fountains  sparkled  in  the  air,  and  on 
the  (piiet  pools  below  them  the  white  lotus  blossoms, 
fair  daughters  of  the  moon,  raised  their  fragrant  cups 
in  rich  profusion.  On  the  banks  of  the  great  river 
the  stately  plantain  trees  drooped  with  golden  fruit, 
and  the  magnolias  loaded  the  air  with  the  rich  odor  of 
their  creamy  blossoms. 

The  whole  city  shone  in  splendor  and  waved  its 
gorgeous  banners  on  the  fragrant  breeze,  and  strains 
of  richest  music  mingled  with  the  twanging  of  bow- 
strings and  the  low  chanting  of  Vedic  hymns. 

The  city  was  encompassed  with  great  walls,  which 
were  set  Avith  jewels,  and  her  towers  and  the  porti- 
coes above  her  gates  were  filled  with  archers.  Every 
part  of  the  city  was  guarded  by  heroes,  who  were  as 
strong  as  the  eight  gods  that  rule  the  unHerse,  and 
vigilant  as  the  many-headed  serpents  Avho  Avatcli  at 
the  entrance  of  the  regions  below. 

There  Avas  no  poverty  within  her  gates,  but  every 
merchant  owned  storehouses,  which  Avere  filled  with 
jeAvels.  There  were  no  misers,  nor  thieves,  nor  liars 


163 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAHA. 

inside  her  beautiful  walls,  and  no  one  lived  less  than  a 
thousand  years.  Men  loved  their  own  wives  only,  none 
of  whom  was  without  a marriage  crown,  or  rich  laces 
and  jewels.  Their  clothing  never  became  soiled  ; their 
gold  w7as  never  tarnished.  All  the  women  were  beau- 
tiful, witty,  and  wise,  for  there  was  no  disease  or  un- 
happiness in  the  favored  city. 

“ In  bygone  ages  built  and  planned 
By  sainted  Mann’s  princely  hand, 

Imperial  seat ! her  walls  extend 
Twelve  measured  leagues  from  end  to  end  ; 
Three  in  width,  from  side  to  side 
With  square  and  palace  beautified. 

Her  gates  at  even  distance  stand, 

Her  ample  roads  are  wisely  planned. 

Right  glorious  is  her  royal  street, 

Where  streams  allay  her  dust  and  heat. 

On  level  ground  in  even  row 
Her  houses  rise  in  goodly  show. 

Terrace  and  palace,  arch  and  gate 
The  queenly  city  decorate. 

High  are  her  ramparts,  strong  and  vast, 

By  ways  at  even  distance  passed, 

With  circling  moat  both  deep  and  wide. 

And  store  of  weapons  fortified.”  1 

In  the  midst  of  the  wonderful  city  was  the  magni- 
ficent palace  of  the  raja,  encompassed  by  walls  so  high 
that  the  birds  could  not  fly  above  them,  while  over 
the  massive  gateways,  strains  of  music  floated  by  day 

i The  poetical  extracts  in  this  story,  unless  otherwise  indicated,  are  from 
Griffiths’  translation. 


164 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  by  night.  In  the  midst  of  the  palace  was  the 
throne,  which  was  set  with  precious  stones.  The  palace 
itself  was  guarded  by  thousands  of  warriors,  who  were 
as  fierce  as  flames  of  fire  and  as  watchful  as  the  lions 
which  guard  their  mountain  dens. 

DASARATHA  AND  TIIE  ASVA-JIEDHA. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  magnificence  there  lived  a 
childless  king,  Dasaratha.  Although  descended  from 
the  sun,  his  line  threatened  to  become  extinct,  for 
there  was  no  heir  to  his  royal  throne,  his  beautiful 
city,  and  his  fertile  kingdom.  He  was  a perfect 
charioteer,  a royal  sage,  and  famous  throughout  the 
three  worlds  for  his  virtues  and  his  magnificence.  His 
kingdom  was  inspected  by  his  spies  as  the  sun  in- 
spected it  by  its  rays,  hut  the  great  Dasaratha  found 
in  it  all  no  disloyalty  or  disobedience.  The  raja  re- 
solved to  perform  the  great  Asva-medha 1 sacrifice  in 
order  to  propitiate  the  gods  and  obtain  a son.  So  the 
long  ceremony  was  begun  and  the  rajas  from  all  the 
surrounding  kingdoms  came  to  attend  the  sacrifice. 
Thousands  of  priests  were  feasted  by  themselves,  the 
most  delicious  viands  were  served  to  them  in  dishes  of 
gold  and  silver,  and  their  attendants  were  the  warriors 
of  the  kingdom.  Eighteen  sacrificial  pits  were  pre- 

i The  horse  for  this  sacrifice  was  turned  out  to  wander  at  his  will  for  a 
year,  followed  by  a faithful  priest  or  perhaps  a large  body  of  attendants. 
If  no  one  touched  him  during  the  year  of  preparation,  he  was  considered  fit 
for  the  sacrifice,  but  if  he  had  been  caught  another  had  to  be  turned  loose 
and  the  ceremonies  postponed.  If  the  first  horse  proved  fit  for  the  offering, 
when  the  year  was  completed  and  the  long  preliminary  arrangements  were 
finished,  the  sacrifice  was  performed  with  almost  endless  ceremonies,  which 
were  purposely  made  very  difficult  and  tedious.  No  one  could  perform 
them  except  Brahmans,  who  received  enormous  gifts  in  return  for  their 


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THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  YANA. 

pared  in  the  form  of  the  bird  Garuda,  and  the  pits 
which  represented  the  wings  of  the  bird  were  lined 
with  bricks  of  gold.  The  king  gave  to  the  priests 
a million  cows,  one  hundred  million  pieces  of  gold 
and  four  hundred  million  pieces  of  silver,  besides  gen- 
erous presents  to  the  whole  multitude.  Then  the 
horse  and  the  birds  and  the  animals  were  duly  sacri- 
ficed, and  the  presiding  priests  proclaimed  to  Dasaratha 
the  welcome  news: 

“ Four  sons,  0 monarch,  shall  be  thine, 
Upholders  of  the  royal  line.” 

THE  CONCLAVE  OF  THE  GODS. 

The  gods  assembled  at  the  sacrifice  in  obedience 
to  the  summons  of  the  priests,  who  slowly  chanted  : 

“ For  you  has  Dasaratha  slain 
The  votive  steed,  a son  to  gain. 

Stern  penance  rites  the  king  has  tried, 

And  in  firm  faith  on  you  relied.” 

Having  partaken  of  the  food  furnished  them  by  the 
offering,  and  being  pleased  with  the  sacrifice,  they  went 
in  a body  to  Brahma  to  intercede  with  him  on  behalf 
of  the  raja,  and  to  present  a petition  of  their  own. 

The  whole  body  of  deities,  with  the  glorious  Indra 
at  their  head,  presented  themselves  at  the  heaven  of 
Brahma,  and  there  beneath  the  golden  dome  and  be- 
fore the  throne  of  white  lotus  blossoms  they  pleaded 
with  their  sovereign  to  grant  the  petition  of  Dasara- 
tha and  also  to  rid  the  world  of  the  hideous  ten- 
headed demon,  Havana,  who  had  long  persecuted  the 


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THE  ANCIEXT  BOOKS  OF  IXDIA. 


gods  and  the  priests,  destroying  the  sacrifices  and 
violating  every  law  of  virtue  and  every  principle  of 
right. 

The  celestial  band  stood  before  Brahma  in  all  their 
beauty  and  brightness,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  a 
host  of  joyous  storm  gods,  and  with  joined  hands 
chanted  their  petition : 

“ 0,  Brahma,  mighty  by  thy  grace, 

Bavan,  who  rules  the  giant  race. 

Torments  us  with  his  senseless  pride, 

And  penance-loving  saints  beside. 

For  thou,  well  pleased  in  days  of  old, 

Gavest  the  boon  that  makes  him  bold. 

That  gods  nor  demons  ere  should  kill 
His  charmed  life,  for  so  thy  will. 

We  honoring  that  high  behest, 

Bear  all  his  rage,  though  sore  distrest. 

That  lord  of  giants,  fierce  and  fell. 

Scourges  the  earth  and  heaven  and  hell. 

Mad  with  thy  boon,  his  impious  rage 
Smites  saint  and  bard  and  god  and  sage. 

The  sun  himself  withholds  his  glow  ; 

The  wind,  in  fear,  forgets  to  blow ; 

The  fire  restrains  his  wonted  heat 
Where  stands  the  dreaded  Ravan’s  feet ; 

And  necklaced  with  tho  wandering  wave, 

The  sea  before  him  fears  to  rave, 

Kuvera’s  self  in  sad  defeat 
Is  driven  from  his  blissful  seat. 

We  see,  we  feel  the  giant’s  might. 

And  woe  comes  o’er  us  and  affright. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  EAMAYAXA.  167 

To  thee,  0 lord,  thy  suppliants  pray 
To  find  some  cure  this  plague  to  stay.” 

Ravana  had  secured  from  Brahma  the  promise 
that  he  should  not  be  slain  by  gods  or  demons  or 
genii.  This  assurance  had  been  gained  by  a long  pen- 
ance on  the  part  of  Ravana,  during  which  he  had 
stood  upon  his  head  in  the  midst  of  five  fires  for  ten 
thousand  years.  In  addition  to  this  wonderful  boon 
he  had  thereby  gained  a gratuity  of  nine  additional 
heads,  with  a full  complement  of  eyes,  ears,  noses, 
and  other  features,  besides  eighteen  additional  arms  and 
hands.  Brahma  having  bestowed  these  gifts  upon 
Ravana,  found  himself  in  a dilemma.  He  therefore 
replies : 

“ One  only  way  I find 
To  slay  this  fiend  of  evil  mind. 

He  prayed  me  once  his  life  to  guard 
From  demon,  god,  and  heavenly  bard. 

And  spirits  of  the  earth  and  air. 

And  I,  consenting,  heard  his  prayer. 

But  the  proud  giant  in  his  scorn 
Recked  not  of  man  of  woman  born. 

None  else  may  take  his  life  away. 

And  only  man  the  fiend  can  slay.” 

Brahma  then  conducted  them  to  the  home  of  Vish- 
nu, on  an  island  in  the  sea  of  milk,  which  is  the 
sixth  circumambient  ocean  of  the  world.  When  they 
arrived  at  the  gorgeous  court  of  Vishnu,  the  god  was 
not  to  be  seen.  They  began,  however,  to  sing  his 
praises,  and  soon  the  glorious  lord  of  the  world  ap- 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


peared,  arrayed  in  garments  of  golden  texture  and 
riding  upon  his  eagle  steed  (Garuda).  In  his  four 
hands  were  the  symbols  of  his  power  — the  shell,  the 
mace,  the  eakra,  and  the  lotus,  while  his  beautiful 
wife,  Lakshmi,  sat  upon  his  lap.  Then  the  assem- 
bled gods  fell  upon  their  knees  before  him  and  im- 
plored him  to  deliver  them  from  the  fatal  power  of 
Ravana.  The  great  Vishnu  was  gracious  to  his  noble 
petitioners,  arid  answered  : “ Be  no  longer  alarmed  ; 

your  foe  shall  fall  before  my  feet.  Ravana  in  his 
pride  of  power  did  not  ask  Brahma  to  preserve  him 
from  men  or  from  monkeys,  for  he  deemed  them  be- 
neath his  notice.  But  I will  take  advantage  of  this 
omission,  and  cause  his  destruction  by  the  very  means 
which  he  despises.  I will  myself  be  born  as  the  son 
of  Dasaratha,  you  shall  assist  me  by  assuming  the 
form  of  monkeys,  and  together  we  will  overthrow  this 
terrible  enemy  of  gods  and  men.”  Then  the  gods  re- 
joiced and  sang  the  praises  of  Vishnu  as  they  went 
away  to  do  his  bidding,  and  were  borne  to  their  homes 
across  the  creamy  billows  of  the  sea  of  milk. 

RAMA. 

Soon  after  the  conclave  of  the  gods  had  received 
from  Vishnu  a favorable  answer  to  their  petition,  the 
principal  wives  of  Dasaratha  bore  him  four  sons. 
Kausalya  was  the  mother  of  Rama,  and  Kaikeyi  the 
mother  of  Bharata,  while  Sumitra  became  the  mother 
of  two  sons,  Lakshmana,  who  was  always  the  firm 
friend  of  Rama,  and  Satru-ghna,  who  was  equally 
attached  to  Bharata. 

It  is  claimed  that  when  Rama  was  born  he  wore  a 


169 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAJIAYANA. 

crown  set  with  jewels.  In  his  ears  were  rings  in  the 
form  of  crocodiles.  He  had  four  arms,  and  in  each 
hand  he  held  one  of  the  symbols  of  Vishnu.  A string 
of  rubies  Avas  around  his  neck,  and  a million  suns  and 
moons  would  hide  their  faces  at  the  sight  of  his  coun- 
tenance. After  explaining  to  his  mother  his  reason  for 
assuming  a human  form,  he  concealed  his  four  arms, 
and  in  the  form  of  a human  babe  began  to  cry.  When 
it  was  announced  in  the  streets  of  Ayodhya  that  four 
heirs  were  born  to  the  raja,  the  great  city  was  filled 
with  rejoicing.  The  happy  father  distributed  gener- 
ous gifts  among  the  people,  and  received  in  return 
their  congratulations  and  praises.  From  every  gate  of 
the  city  the  joyful  notes  of  music  rang  out  upon  the 
clear  air,  and  the  houses  were  decorated  with  the 
blossom-laden  branches  of  the  mango  tree.  Rama,  the 
beautiful  boy,1  grew  rapidly  toward  manhood,  and  even 
in  his  childhood  became  an  expert  archer.  In  early 
youth  he  was  the  best  shot  in  the  kingdom,  and  his 
strength  was  such  that  everything  he  touched  yielded 
to  the  power  of  his  hands. 

THE  BOW  OF  SIT  A. 

The  raja  Janaka,  who  ruled  over  a neighboring 
province,  was  the  possessor  of  the  wonderful  bow  of 
Siva.  This  was  said  to  be  the  veritable  bow  with 
which  Siva  had  destroyed  the  gods,  when  he  overturned 
the  altars  and  tore  up  the  groves  of  Dakslia,  because 

i Each  nation  has  an  undoubted  right  to  its  own  ideal,  but  the  per- 
sonal appearance  which  is  ascribed  to  Rama  hardly  accords  with  mod- 
ern ideas  of  beauty.  lie  is  represented  as  being  of  “a  beautiful  color 
like  green  grass,  with  fine  glossy  hair  and  a large  head.  His  nose  was 
like  that  of  the  green  parrot,  his  legs  resembled  plantain  trees,  and  his 
feet  were  red  as  the  rising  sun.” 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Daksha,  having  prepared  a great  sacrifice,  invited  all 
the  gods  to  the  festival  except  Siva  and  his  wife.  But 
no  man  could  handle  the  great  bow  or  the  heavy  ar- 
rows of  the  vindictive  god.  Janaka  therefore  issued 
a proclamation  that  he  who  could  bend  the  bow  of 
Siva  should  receive  in  marriage  his  beautiful  daughter, 
Sita.1  The  loveliness  of  this  young  girl  had  at- 
tracted rajas  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  enter 
the  contest  for  her  hand,  but  they  had  gone  home  in 
dismay  when  they  saw  the  mammoth  bow.  The  fame 
of  Sita’s  beauty  had  also  reached  the  city  of  Ayodhya, 
and  Rama  determined  to  test  his  strength  and  win, 
if  possible,  the  lovely  princess.  One  beautiful  morn- 
ing he  started  with  Lakshmana,  who  was  ever  his  de- 
voted companion,  to  the  city  of  Mithila,  where  the 
raja  Janaka  lived. 

When  they  arrived  and  the  raja  saw  them,  he  in- 
quired of  his  attendants,  “ Who  are  those  two  young 
men  who  are  as  majestic  as  elephants,  as  heroic  as 
tigers,  and  as  beautiful  as  the  two  Asvins?”2  And 
they  answered,  “ They  are  the  sons  of  Maharaja  Dasa- 
ratha,  and  they  come  hither  to  inquire  about  the  great 
bow.”  Then  the  raja  exhibited  to  his  royal  guests 
the  great  bow  with  which  Siva  destroyed  the  gods  at  the 
sacrifice  of  Daksha,  and  which  had  ever  since  been 
preserved  in  the  royal  house  of  Mithila,  and  wor- 
shiped by  devotees. 

1 It  is  claimed  that  Sita  was  born  of  the  earth  and  not  of  woman. 
Janaka  said  that  one  day  while  he  was  ploughing,  the  ploughshare 
struck  a silver  vessel,  and  taking  it  out  of  the  ground  he  opened  it 
and  found  a beautiful  babe  therein,  whom  he  adopted  as  his  own 
daughter. 

2 Two  deities,  ever  young  and  beautiful,  who  riding  in  a golden  cur 
announced  the  coming  of  Ushas  (the  dawn).  They  are  also  called  di- 
vine physicians. 


171 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAM  A YANA. 

When  the  bow  was  brought  into  the  royal  presence 
it  lay  in  a great  car,  which  moved  upon  eight  wheels 
and  was  drawn  by  five  thousand  strong  men.  Then 
said  raja  Janaka  to  the  young  princes,  “ I have  prom- 
ised to  give  my  beautiful  daughter  Sita  to  the  raja 
who  shall  succeed  in  bending  the  bow,  and  all  the  ra- 
jas of  the  earth  have  come  hither  ; but  no  one  has  been 
strong  enough  even  to  lift  it  from  its  resting-place.” 
No  sooner  had  he  uttered  these  words  then  Rama  stepped 
forth  in  his  magnificent  strength  and  took  the  bow 
from  the  car  with  his  right  hand,  while  the  multitude 
around  him  were  hushed  with  amazement  and  expec- 
tation. Then,  taking  the  other  hand  he  bent  the  bow 
nearly  double,  so  that  it  broke  with  a crash,  like  one 
of  the  thunder-bolts  of  Indra.  The  people  were  stunned 
as  if  a mountain  had  fallen  into  the  sea,  and  many  of 
them  were  thrown  to  the  ground.  Raja  Janaka  turned 
to  his  attendants  and  said,  “ This  deed  of  Rama’s  is 
without  a parallel,  and  he  shall  receive  my  daughter 
Sita  in  marriage.  Let  messengers  be  mounted  upon 
swift  horses,  and  let  them  carry  this  joyful  news  to 
the  raja  Dasaratha,  and  bring  him  to  this  city.” 

MARRIAGE  OF  RAMA. 

When  the  messengers  arrived  at  the  palace  of  Da- 
saratha the  king  was  rejoiced  to  learn  of  the  prowess 
of  his  son,  and  also  that  the  two  royal  lines  were  to  be 
joined  by  the  marriage  of  Rama  with  the  lovely  prin- 
cess Sita. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  raja  set  out  with  a 
magnificent  train  of  attendants  upon  the  four  days’ 
journey  to  the  city  of  Mithila.  In  his  splendid  reti- 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


nue  a large  corps  of  royal  archers  rode  upon  swift 
horses,  and  the  priests  of  the  royal  household  were 
mounted  upon  elephants  with  rich  trappings  and  dec- 
orations. All  the  treasures  of  the  king  were  also  car- 
ried in  a long  line  of  chests,  which  were  drawn  by 
elephants.  The  raja  and  his  household  were  mounted 
upon  white  elephants  and  attended  by  dancing  girls 
and  musicians.  The  great  procession  moved  gaily  out 
of  the  city,  amidst  the  rejoicing  of  the  people,  and 
wound  its  way  slowly  along  to  the  city  of  Mithila.  It 
was  joyfully  received,  the  raja  Janaka  and  his  court 
coming  out  to  meet  his  royal  guest,  whom  he  saluted, 
saying  to  Dasaratha,  “Happy  am  I this  day  and  de- 
livered from  all  distress,  for  by  this  alliance  with  your 
royal  line  my  family  will  be  honored  and  purified.” 

On  the  morrow  when  the  two  kings  with  their 
priests  and  other  attendants  were  assembled,  the  great 
sage  Vasishtha  recited  to  raja  Janaka  the  names  of  all 
the  ancestors  of  Dasaratha,  and  Janaka  repeated  to  his 
guest  the  long  list  of  his  own  progenitors.  Thus  the 
two  royal  lines  were  compared  and  the  marriage  was 
decided  upon.  Then  Dasaratha  retired  from  the  scene 
and  performed  the  great  ceremony  of  Sraddha,  or  offer- 
ing, to  the  ghosts  of  his  ancestors,  giving  a great 
number  of  cows  to  the  officiating  priests.  Each  cow 
had  horns  of  pure  gold. 

When  the  ceremonial  night  had  passed  away,  Dasa- 
ratha, attended  by  his  four  sons,  all  richly  adorned 
with  jewels,  went  again  to  the  raja  of  Mithila.  When 
they  reached  the  chamber  of  the  gods  where  the  cere- 
mony was  to  be  performed,  they  found  it  draped  on 
every  side  with  the  richest  flowers  of  the  tropics. 


173 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  YANA. 

There  Avere  great  vases  filled  Avitli  the  branches  of 
magnolias,  whose  white  blossoms  loaded  the  air  Avitli 
their  fragrance.  The  pearly  floAvers  of  the  orange  tree 
surrounded  its  golden  fruit,  contrasting  Avitli  the  rich 
green  of  its  foliage.  The  floor  Avas  carpeted  with  the 
sacred  kusa  grass,  and  the  sacred  fire  Avas  lighted  upon 
the  altar,  where  the  honia,  consecrated  Avitli  mantras, 
was  placed  upon  the  flame.  While  Kama  stood  upon 
the  eastern  side  of  the  altar,  Janaka  led  his  peerless 
daughter  to  the  other  side.  Costly  jeAvels  studded  the 
folds  of  her  Avliite  robe  and  glittered  in  the  braids  of 
her  dark  hair.  Then  raja  Janaka  placed  her  hand  in 
that  of  Kama  and  said  to  him,  “ This  is  my  daughter 
Sita,  endowed  Avitli  every  virtue.  Take  her  hand  in 
yours,  0 son  of  Dasaratha,  and  she  will  ever  attend 
you  like  a shadow.  Maintain  her  for  life,  and  be  not 
offended  if  she  commits  a fault.”  The  bride  Avas 
consecrated  Avitli  holy  Avater,  the  trumpets  sounded,  and 
Rama  led  her  three  times  around  the  sacred  fire  upon 
the  altar  and  performed  all  the  ceremonies  according 
to  the  Hindu  laAv.  Then  a shower  of  blossoms  fell 
upon  them  from  the  heavens,  and  celestial  music  Avas 
heard  in  the  sky,  as  the  Gandharvas,  or  celestial 
musicians,  played  a SAveet  and  solemn  wedding  hymn. 

After  Rama  and  his  bride  were  taken  to  an  inner 
room,  her  veil  Avas  removed,  and  he  looked  for  the  first 
time  upon  her  lovely  face.  Her  large  dark  eyes  Avere 
veiled  Avith  heavy  lashes  and  cast  down  in  the  presence 
of  her  lord,  Avhile  her  crimson  blushes  lighted  up  Avith 
neAv  beauty  her  soft  golden  complexion.  As  Rama 
took  his  trembling  bride  in  his  arms  and  gazed  upon 
her  girlish  form,  a great  love  Avas  born  in  his  heart  for 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  woman  upon  whom  he  now  looked  for  the  first  time. 
Iler  ruby  lips  were  pressed  with  a warm  and  eager 
kiss,  which  was  at  once  a lover’s  tribute  and  a hus- 
band’s offering.  And  she,  the  timid  girl,  felt  the  brave 
heart  of  her  husband  beating  against  her  own,  and 
nestled  in  his  bosom,  like  a trembling  bird  that  has 
found  a refuge  from  the  storm. 

The  next  morning  after  the  marriage  of  Rama,  the 
raja  Dasaratha  and  his  family  took  leave  of  Janaka, 
who  caressed  his  daughter  Sita  and  loaded  her  elephant 
with  valuable  presents.  The  splendid  troops  of  archers 
and  the  great  retinue  of  horses  and  elephants  with  their 
rich  trappings  were  made  ready,  and  amidst  the  strains 
of  joyous  music  the  procession  set  out  for  the  capital 
city  of  Dasaratha.  Couriers  had  announced  their 
approach,  and  upon  their  arrival  they  found  Ayodhyii 
adorned  with  banners  and  decorated  with  flowers.  The 
air  was  filled  with  the  clangor  of  trumpets,  and  thou- 
sands of  people  thronged  the  gates  to  welcome  their 
king,  the  heir  apparent,  and  his  beautiful  bride.  After 
a great  feast  to  the  musicians  and  the  warriors,  the 
dancers  and  the  singers,  the  priests  and  the  kinsmen, 
they  were  dismissed  with  rich  presents,  and  the  royal 
party  entered  their  own  apartments  within  the  beautiful 
palace. 

KAMA  APPOINTED  YUVA-RAJA. 

It  was  the  custom  for  the  heir  to  the  throne  to  re- 
ceive the  appointment  of  Yuva-raja,  that  he  might 
assist  in  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  state,  even 
during  the  life  of  the  raja.  This  arrangement  intro- 
duced the  young  prince  to  his  life  work,  and  at  the 


175 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

same  time  lightened  the  burdens  of  the  reigning  king, 
while  it  effectually  prevented  any  dispute  as  to  the 
proper  successor  when  the  death  of  the  raja  occurred. 
Therefore,  the  ministers  and  counselors  went  to  the  pal- 
ace and  entreated  Dasaratha  to  appoint  Rama  as  the 
Yuva-raja,  for  all  the  people  loved  the  young  heir  and 
were  anxious  to  see  him  share  in  the  honors  of  the 
government.  The  ministers  said  to  Dasaratha,  “ 0 
Maha-raja,  listen  to  the  voice  of  your  people.  You  are 
the  raja  of  rajas.  You  are  the  greatest  among  men. 
At  a great  sacrifice  of  your  happiness  you  have  gov- 
erned us  for  nine  thousand  years,  and  under  your  rule 
every  one  has  been  happy  and  no  one  has  dreamed  of 
misfortune.  Now  it  is  the  wish  of  all  that  Rama 

should  also  be  placed  upon  the  throne.” 

So  Dasaratha  called  together  all  of  his  ministers 
and  counselors,  and  the  chieftains  and  officers  of  the 
army,  and  all  the  people  of  the  city  to  hear  his  pro- 
clamation. Then  from  the  throne  of  the  Council  Hall 
the  raja  addressed  them  as  follows : “ To-day  I am  the 
happiest  of  men,  and  I cannot  reward  you  sufficiently 
for  the  joy  which  your  proposal  has  given  me.  I have 
long  been  desirous  of  placing  Rama  upon  the  throne, 
but  have  waited  to  know  your  wishes.  Therefore,  let 
there  be  no  further  delay.  I have  constantly  pre- 
served my  subjects  to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  but 
this  frame  of  mine  has  grown  old  under  the  shadow 
of  the  royal  canopy.  I am  worn  out  with  the  weight 
of  my  duties,  and  desire  rest.  My  excellent  son  I 
wish  to  appoint  Yuva-raja.  To  him  I commit  the 
government  of  the  raj.  This  delightful  month,  Caitra, 
in  which  the  forests  are  adorned  with  flowers,  is  sacred 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  auspicious  ; prepare  all  things  for  the  installation 
of  Rama  as  Yuva-raja.”  Then  all  the  chieftains  and 
the  people  rejoiced  and  great  shouts  went  up  from 
the  assembled  multitude.  But  the  raja  turned  to 
Vasishtha  and  said,  “ 0 chief  of  sages,  it  is  proper 
for  you  to  say  what  ceremonies  shall  be  per- 
formed at  the  installation  of  Rama..*’  And  Vasish- 
tha said  to  the  servants  of  the  king,  “ Prepare  the 
gold  and  the  jewels  and  the  purifying  bath  of  the 
gods,  the  incense,  the  garlands  of  white  flowers,  the 
parched  grain,  the  honey,  the  clarified  butter,  the 
insignia  of  royalty,  and  all  things  necessary  for  the 
installation  of  the  Yuva-raja,  and  place  them  in  the 
house  set  apart  for  the  sacred  fire.  Provide,  also, 
abundance  of  food,  with  curds  and  milk  for  one  hun- 
dred thousand  priests,  and  fill  the  golden  pots  with 
water  from  the  sacred  rivers.  Let  the  Brahmans  be 
invited  to  attend  and  the  throne  be  prepared  and  the 
banners  be  elevated,  and  let  the  musicians  and  beauti- 
ful dancing  girls  gaily  adorned,  fill  the  inner  court 
of  the  royal  palace,  and  let  garlands  of  flowers  be 
placed  in  all  the  temples  and  beneath  the  sacred 
trees.” 

Then  Dasaratha  said  to  his  chosen  counselor 
Sumantra,  “Bring  hither  the  accomplished  Rama.” 
So  Rama  was  brought  to  the  great  council  hall  of 
the  palace,  and  descending  from  his  royal  chariot  went 
into  the  presence  of  his  father  and  bowed  himself  at 
his  feet.  But  the  raja  clasped  both  the  hands  of  his 
son  and  drew  him  toward  him,  and  commanded  a 
lofty  throne  set  with  jewels  to  be  placed  before  the 
heir  apparent.  Then  addressing  his  son  he  said. 


177 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAYA. 

“ All  men  owe  three  great  debts : the  first  to  the 
gods,  the  second  to  the  Rishis,  and  the  third  to  their 
ancestors.  The  first  I have  paid  with  sacrifices  and 
ceremonies ; the  second,  by  learning  the  Vedas,  and 
your  birth  has  freed  me  from  the  third.  I have  now 
one  wish  remaining,  which  you  must  not  refuse.  You 
are  my  eldest  son,  born  of  my  first  wife,  and  all  my 
chieftains,  counselors,  and  subjects  are  anxious  to  see 
you  upon  the  throne.  I wish  you,  therefore,  to  comply 
with  their  request.  Do  not  hesitate  because  I am 
alive,  for  it  has  always  been  the  rule  of  my  race  for 
the  raja  to  hike  his  son  to  the  throne  when  he  grows 
old.  To-morrow  is  auspicious ; therefore,  to-morrow  I 
will  install  you  as  Yuva-raja.”  And  Rama  bowed  his 
head  to  the  king  and  went  away  to  the  apartments 
of  his  devoted  mother  to  inform  her  of  his  good  for- 
tune, before  he  began  the  ceremonies  which  were  to 
purify  him  for  the  morrow. 

KAIKEYI. 

The  youngest  and  most  beautiful  wife  of  Dasaratha 
was  Kaikeyl,  the  mother  of  Bharata.  Her  heart  had 
been  burning  with  jealous  rage  ever  since  the  joy  and 
feasting  over  RannVs  marriage  began.  The  magnifi- 
cent presents  and  the  beautiful  wife  of  the  heir  appar- 
ent had  filled  her  with  envy,  and  now  the  great  prepa- 
rations to  install  him  as  Yuva-raja  made  her  resolve  to 
defeat  him  if  possible.  She  therefore  retired  to  her 
own  apartments  to  work  out  her  wicked  scheme.  She 
remembered  that  some  years  before,  when  the  raja  was 
wounded  in  battle,  she  had  nursed  him  tenderly,  and 
in  his  gratitude  he  had  promised  her  any  two  boons 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


that  she  might  ask.  A promise  of  this  kind  is  pecu- 
liarly sacred  in  the  East,  and  as  she  had  never  yet 
claimed  its  fulfilment,  she  felt  that  she  now  held  the 
key  to  the  situation. 

When  the  preparatory  ceremonies  were  over,  the 
king  hastened  to  the  apartments  of  his  beloved  Kaikeyl, 
to  give  her  the  joyful  tidings  and  receive  her  congratu- 
lations upon  the  accession  of  his  son.  He  hurried 
along  the  hall,  which  was  decorated  with  peacocks  and 
made  vocal  with  the  songs  of  birds,  where  beautiful 
vines  and  flowers  twined  around  the  marble  pillars,  fill- 
ing the  air  with  their  fragrance.  With  a joyful  heart  he 
entered  a magnificent  room,  which  was  as  bright  as  the 
southern  sky  beneath  a mantle  of  fleecy  cloud.  But  he 
saw  only  the  magnificent  appointments  of  the  room  ; the 
beautiful  creature  who  had  hitherto  met  him  with  her 
smiles  was  not  there.  Then  his  heart  sank  within  him, 
for  he  longed  to  see  her.  But  the  doorkeeper  said, 
“ Oh,  raja  of  rajas,  the  rani  is  in  a great  rage,  and  she 
has  fled  to  the  chamber  of  displeasure.” 

Puzzled  and  grieved,  the  king  hurried  to  the  cham- 
ber of  displeasure,  and  beheld  his  beautiful  rani  lying 
upon  the  floor,  in  sordid  garments  He  caressed  her 
and  tried  to  arouse  her,  like  one  who  awakens  a sleep- 
ing serpent  that  will  surely  cause  his  death.  “ Why, 
my  beloved,  are  you  in  the  chamber  of  displeasfire? 
Why  are  you  without  ornaments,  and  why  do  you 
weep?  Surely  I have  never  offended  you  by  night  or 
by  day.  Say  if  you  are  ill,  that  I may  send  for  the 
most  eminent  physicians,  or  if  any  one  has  offended 
you,  that  I may  punish  him  according  to  your  pleasure. 
I will  do  whatever  you  command ; I will  slay  the  inno- 


179 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 

cent  or  release  the  guilty,  for  I am  a raja  of  rajas.  I 
will  give  you  whatever  you  request,  even  if  it  be  my 
own  life.”  And  he  clasped  the  evil  creature  in  his  arms, 
even  as  men  will  sometimes  take  a serpent  to  their 
bosoms. 

Seeing  that  he  was  still  infatuated  with  her,  Kaikeyi 
told  him  of  the  boons  he  had  promised  and  that  the 
time  had  come  when  he  must  grant  them,  if,  indeed,  he 
really  loved  her. 

“Now  pledge  thy  word  if  thou  incline 
To  listen  to  this  prayer  of  mine. 

If  thou  refuse  thy  promise  sworn 
I die  despised  before  the  morn.” 

Then  the  foolish  raja  smiled  upon  her  and  said, 
“ Know,  beautiful  one,  that  no  one  is  more  beloved 
than  you  except  my  son  Kama,  and  by  Kama,  who  is 
dearer  than  my  life,  I swear  that  I will  perform  your 
request,  whatsoever  it  may  be.  May  I lose  all  the  merit 
of  every  good  deed  that  I have  done  upon  earth  if  I 
fail  to  perform  your  request.” 

Then  the  evil  creature  demanded  of  him,  “Grant 
me  the  boon,  even  as  thou  hast  sworn.  Let  all  the 
gods,  with  Indra  at  their  head,  and  all  the  regents  of 
the  universe  bear  witness  to  the  promise  of  the  illus- 
trious, the  upright,  the  faithful  Maha-raja.”  Then 
putting  her  arms  around  him,  she  entreated  him  to 
remember  the  two  favors  which  he  had  promised 
when  she  had  saved  his  life  by  her  care,  and  which 
she  now  claimed.  “The  first  favor  is  that  my  son 
Bharata  be  installed  this  day  instead  of  Rama,  and  the 
second  is  that  Kama  may  be  banished  to  the  forest  of 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Dandaka,1  to  lead  the  life  of  a hermit,  and  to  clothe 
himself  in  deerskins  and  in  the  bark  of  trees  for  four- 
teen years.” 

When  the  raja  heard  these  fatal  words,  he  fell  upon 
the  floor  in  his  anguish,  like  a majestic  plantain  tree 
that  has  been  prostrated  by  the  wind. 

Then  Kaikeyl  said  to  herself,  “After  he  has  installed 
Bharata  I shall  not  be  sorry  for  his  death,  but  now  I 
must  bring  him  to  his  senses,  for  if  he  dies  Rama  will 
surely  receive  the  kingdom.”  So  she  called  her  attend- 
ants to  apply  restoratives,  and  at  last  he  became  again 
sensible  of  his  pain  and  exclaimed,  “ Am  I tormented 
with  demons  or  have  I lost  my  reason?”  When  he  fully 
remembered  all  that  she  had  said,  he  quivered  in  pain 
like  an  antelope  in  the  grasp  of  a tigress,  but  he  felt  as 
powerless  in  her  vile  presence  as  a bird  in  the  face  of  a 
serpent  that  has  charmed  it.  At  last  he  recovered  him- 
self enough  to  exclaim,  “Oh,  cruel  wretch!  what  has  Rama 
done  to  you?  He  has  always  yielded  to  you  the  same 
reverence  that  he  pays  to  his  own  mother ; why,  then, 
are  you  bent  upon  his  ruin?  You,  the  daughter  of  a 
raja,  have  crept  into  my  house  like  a venomous  serpent 
in  order  to  destroy  me.  Oh,  Kaikeyl!  have  pity  upon  an 
old  man,  who  humbly  supplicates  you.  Save  my  life  by 
relinquishing  your  evil  purpose.  Take  jewels  instead — 
take  a thousand,  cities,  or  anything  else  that  will  satisfy 
you,”  and  he  fell  at  her  feet  while  he  pleaded.  But  the 
cold-hearted  woman  replied,  “I  am  in  possession  of  my 
senses.  People  call  you  truthful,  and  it  is  said  that 
you  always  adhere  to  your  promise.  The  time  has 

This  forest  is  described  as  a terrible  wilderness  infested  with  wild  ani- 
mals and  inhabited  by  savages  or  demons. 


181 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

come  for  you  to  grant  me  the  two  favors  that  you 
swore  should  be  mine.”  She  was  met  with  a torrent 
of  indignant  reproach,  to  which  she  angrily  replied  by 
accusing  him  of  falsehood. 

He  remembered  his  oath,  and  bitterly  exclaimed : 
“ Oh,  Kaikeyl  ! in  what  evil  hour  have  I entered  your 
room  ? I have  been  entrapped  by  my  love  for  you  as 
a mouse  is  entrapped  by  a bait.  The  race  that  lias 
descended  from  the  sun  has  hitherto  been  without 
stain  ; and  I am  the  first  to  pollute  it.  Never  before 
was  it  heard  that  a father  sent  his  eldest  son  into  exile 
in  order  to  gratify  a capricious  woman.  Be  the  con- 
sequence what  it  may,  I shall  place  Rama  upon  the 
throne  as  soon  as  it  is  morning.  But  I fear  lest  Rama 
should  hear  of  my  promise.  Then  he  would  volun- 
tarily go  into  exile  rather  than  send  his  father  to  a 
liar’s  hell.1  Oh,  Ivaikeyi  ! relinquish  this  cruel  wish  ! 
What  will  the  rajas  say  when  I tell  them  that,  tortured 
by  you,  I have  given  the  kingdom  to  Bharata  and  sent 
Rama  into  the  jungle  ? The  whole  world  will  abhor 
me  for  the  sake  of  the  female  who  sends  my  beloved 
son  into  the  forest.  Oh,  Kaikeyl  ! I fall  at  your  feet ; 
be  gracious  to  me.”  But  the  evil  creature  replied,  “ I 
have  three  times  repeated  my  requests,  and  your 
promises  must  be  fulfilled  or  I will  take  poison  in  your 
presence.”  Then  answered  the  raja,  “ I reject  you  for- 
ever, and  your  son  Bharata  I reject  with  you,  although 

i J.  Talboys  Wheeler  remarks  that  the  “great  stress  which  is  here  laid 
upon  the  performance  of  a promise  is  somewhat  remarkable,  from  the  fact 
that  it  scarcely  tallies  with  the  charges  which  have  been  so  frequently 
brought  forward  against  the  truthfulness  of  Hindus.”  Neither  is  it  quite 
consistent  with  the  teaching  of  their  sacred  Code  of  Mann,  that  lying  is  some- 
times justifiable.  (See  Manu  VIII,  103,  104.)  A similar  precept  occurs  in 
another  ancient  code,  but  an  expiation  is  there  prescribed. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


lie  is  my  son  as  well  as  yours.”  While  the  king  still 
lingered  in  this  chamber  of  torture  darkness  came 
down  upon  him  and  he  passed  a terrible  night  of 
agony,  a helpless  raja  within  his  palace  walls. 

REVELATION  TO  RAMA. 

The  morning  dawned  clear  and  beautiful.  Bright 
banners  and  garlands  of  flowers  saluted  the  rising  sun, 
and  all  was  made  ready  for  the  great  installation  of  the 
heir  to  the  kingdom.  The  golden  throne  was  set  up 
and  covered  with  the  white  canopy,  which  was  the 
symbol  of  royalty.  The  sacred  tiger’s  skin,  the  bow 
and  the  cimeter,  and  the  sacrificial  fire,  with  the  ele- 
phants and  the  chariots  and  horses  were  at  hand.  The 
golden  pots  were  filled  with  water  from  the  sacred 
Ganges,  and  surrounded  with  the  fruits  and  gorgeous 
flowers  of  the  favored  clime.  There,  too,  were  the 
priests,  and  the  eight  beautiful  damsels  to  rub  tumeric 
on  the  body  of  the  raja ; there  was  the  great  white 
bull,  girded  with  a golden  rope,  and  the  shaggy  lion, 
and  a multitude  of  musicians,  and  thousands  of  people, 
besides  the  beautiful  dancing  girls. 

At  the  rising  of  the  sun  the  magnificent  procession 
filled  the  street  leading  to  the  palace,  and  there  the 
patient  people  waited  for  the  coming  of  the  raja  and 
the  excellent  Rama.  Vasishtlia  requested  Sumantra  to 
go  and  hasten  the  Maha-raja,  “so  that  Rama  may  re- 
ceive the  raj  as  the  moon  enters  the  mansion  of  Push- 
ya.”  Sumantra  joyfully  entered  the  palace,  and  ap- 
proaching the  curtain  of  the  door  he  remained  outside 
of  the  apartment  and  saluted  the  raja  thus:  “As  the 

ocean  when  illumined  by  the  rising  sun  gives  pleasure 


183 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 

to  the  beholders,  so  a great  raja  by  his  benign  presence 
diffuses  happiness  around  him.  As  the  charioteer  of 
Indra  aroused  the  mighty  god  before  he  went  forth, 
so  do  I arouse  you.  As  the  moon  awakens  the  earth, 
permit  me  this  day  to  awaken  you.  The  god  of  day 
rises  propitious  from  his  couch ; may  he  and  all  the 
gods  command  that  success  attend  you.  Oh,  Maha-raja, 
all  is  ready  for  the  installation  of  Kama.  As  an  army 
without  a commander,  as  the  night  without  the  moon, 
so  is  a country  when  the  Maha-raja  does  not  appear.” 
These  joyous  words  fell  upon  the  ear  of  a monarch  who 
was  speechless  with  anguish  : but  the  heartless  Kaikeyi 
responded,  “ Go  you,  Sumantra,  and  bring  Rama 
hither,  for  the  raja  has  something  of  great  importance 
to  tell  him.” 

Then  Sumantra  went  out  of  the  palace  and  has- 
tened to  the  home  of  Rama,  which  was  as  resplendent 
as  the  palace  of  Indra.  In  the  lovely  grounds  the  deer 
were  feeding  in  fearless  serenity,  and  the  gay  peacocks 
displayed  their  gorgeous  feathers  in  the  morning  sun- 
light. Sumantra  passed  the  brilliant  militia  guard  at 
the  door,  and  going  toward  the  inner  apartments,  he 
ordered  the  attendant  to  inform  Rama  immediately  that 
Sumantra  waited  for  an  audience. 

When  Rama  heard  that  his  father’s  chosen  counselor 
had  come,  he  directed  that  the  guest  should  be  con- 
ducted at  once  to  his  presence.  When  the  great  coun- 
selor entered  the  room  he  beheld  Rama  sitting  on  a 
golden  couch,  tastefully  draped  with  the  richest  fabrics 
of  the  Indian  looms.  The  air  of  the  room  was  fragrant 
with  the  odor  of  sandalwood  and  rich  masses  of  tropi- 
cal flowers.  The  beautiful  Sita  stood  by  her  lord  fan- 


184 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ning  him  with  peacock’s  feathers,  while  her  young  face 
was  lighted  with  love  and  happiness.  Then  Sumantra 
delivered  his  message,  and  Rama  turned  to  Sita  with 
the  words,  “Oh,  divine  one  ! I will  go  at  once  to  the 
Maha-raja,  and  you  may  remain  here  and  amuse  your- 
self with  your  maids.”  The  dark-eyed  wife  followed 
her  lord  to  the  door  saying,  “ May  the  gods  of  all  the 
four  quarters  of  the  universe  protect  you.  May  Indra 
who  wields  the  thunderbolt,  Yama  the  judge  of  the 
dead,  Varuna,  god  of  the  waters,  and  Kuvera,  the  lord 
of  wealth,  guard  you  from  harm.”  Then  Rama  went 
gaily  out  with  Sumantra,  and  they  ascended  Rama’s 
bright  chariot,  lined  with  tiger  skins,  adorned  with 
gold  and  gems,  and  drawn  by  magnificent  horses. 
Lakshmana,  his  younger  brother,  attended  the  crown 
prince,  standing  behind  him  in  the  chariot. 

His  appearance  on  the  street  was  greeted  with 
shouts  and  cheers  and  the  great  multitude  pressed 
around  his  chariot,  while  thousands  of  horses  and 
trained  elephants  followed  and  the  brightly  uniformed 
militia  guarded  the  line  of  his  approach.  Thus  amidst 
the  strains  of  music  and  the  triumphal  acclamations 
of  the  multitude  he  was  escorted  to  his  father’s  palace, 
where  he  was  met  with  garlands  of  flowers,  the  palace 
itself  appearing  as  resplendent  as  the  milk-white  cars 
of  the  gods.  Having  passed  through  the  five  outer 
courts  he  ordered  his  people  to  halt,  while  with  his 
brother  only  he  entered  his  father’s  presence. 

The  whole  multitude  waited  without  in  joyous  antici- 
pation, while  a terrible  scene  was  enacted  within  the 
palace  walls.  Rama  beheld  his  wretched  father  sitting 
by  the  side  of  Kaikeyi  on  a magnificent  couch,  with 


185 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAM  A YAK  A. 

his  whole  face  and  form  withered  and  blasted  by  the 
terrible  hand  of  sorrow.  Rama  knelt  at  his  feet,  but 
the  eyes  of  the  raja  were  overflowing  with  tears.  Sob- 
bing with  anguish,  he  could  only  exclaim,  “Oh,  Rama! 
Rama  ! ” The  young  heir  shrank  from  the  presence  of 
Kaikeyi  as  if  he  had  been  touched  by  a loathsome 
serpent,  for  his  father  was  convulsed  with  grief,  like 
an  ocean  which  is  swept  by  a tempest. 

But  Kaikeyi  displayed  neither  grief  nor  shame.  She 
coolly  said,  “Rama,  the  Maha-raja  is  not  angry,  neither 
is  he  in  distress ; but  he  has  something  on  his  mind 
which  he  forbears  to  tell  you,  though  it  is  necessary 
that  you  should  know  it.  The  Maha-raja  has  made 
me  two  solemn  promises  and  confirmed  them  with  an 
oath  ; but  he  now  repents  of  it  like  one  of  low  caste. 
In  former  times  when  I saved  his  life  he  offered  me 
two  boons  and  swore  to  perform  them.  I have  now 
requested  that  my  son  Bharata  may  be  installed  as 
coadjutor  with  the  Maha-raja,  and  that  you  may  be 
sent  into  exile  in  the  wilderness  of  Dandaka  for  four- 
teen years.  If,  therefore,  you  desire  that  your  father 
shall  act  according  to  his  oath,  you  will  go  out  of 
the  city  this  day  and  return  not  for  fourteen 
years.” 

She  coolly  uttered  this  merciless  speech,  well  know- 
ing that  it  was  a dagger  which  pierced  the  hearts  of 
both  father  and  son.  The  Maha-raja  was  overcome 
with  grief,  but  Rama  bravely  replied : “ Be  it  so.  I 
will  depart  into  the  forest  that  the  Maha-raja  may  ful- 
fil the  promise  he  has  made.  Let  messengers  be  sent 
upon  swift  horses  to  bring  Bharata  here  from  the  city 
of  Giriv-raja,  and  I will  hasten  to  the  forest  of  Dan- 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


daka  and  abide  there  fourteen  years.”  And  Kaikeyl 
replied,  “ So  let  it  be.  Let  not  your  father’s  shame  af- 
fect you,  but  depart  immediately,  for  your  father  will 
neither  eat  nor  bathe  until  you  are  out  of  the  city.” 
Although  goaded  thus  by  her  merciless  tongue,  he  qui- 
etly answered,  “I  obey  the  will  of  the  Maha-raja,  for 
there  is  no  act  of  virtue  greater  than  that  of  obeying 
the  command  of  a father  and  fulfilling  his  engagements. 
But  I go  first  to  take  leave  of  my  loving  mother, 
Kausalya,  and  to  comfort  my  beautiful  Sita.”  And 
bowing  himself  again  at  the  feet  of  his  wretched 
father,  he  left  the  apartment,  followed  by  Lakshmana, 
who  had  witnessed  the  whole  interview. 

KAUSALYA. 

When  Rama  entered  the  elegant  rooms  of  his  devo- 
ted mother,  he  saw  that  she  was  propitiating  the  gods 
in  his  behalf.  She  was  even  then  fanning  the  sacrifi- 
cial fire,  while  around  her  lay  the  curds,  the  rice,  the 
sweetmeats,  the  white  garlands,  the  sacrificial  wood,  and 
the  jars  of  holy  water.  She  joyfully  arose  and  em- 
braced her  son,  saying,  “ May  you  attain  the  age,  the 
renown,  and  the  virtue  which  are  worthy  of  your  race, 
oh,  .Rama,  for  even  this  day  you  are  to  be  installed  in 
the  office  of  coadjutor  of  the  raj,  according  to  your 
father’s  promise.”  Then  Rama  saluted  her,  and  said, 
“ Oh,  mother  ! Are  you  unacquainted  with  the  heavy 
calamity  now  pending  ? It  is  Bharata  who  is  to  be 
installed,  and  as  for  me,  I am  to  go  for  fourteen 
years  into  the  forest  of  Dandaka  and  live  upon  roots 
and  fruits.” 

When  Kausalya  heard  these  terrible  words  she  fell 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAHA.  187 

in  the  agony  of  her  grief  to  the  floor.  But  her  son 
raised  her  up  and  tenderly  comforted  her.  At  last 
she  exclaimed  : “ Oh,  Kama  ! Oh,  my  son  ! If  you  had 
never  been  born  I should  have  been  saved  this  bitter 
sorrow.  A barren  woman  has  only  the  grief  of  being 
childless  ; she  knows  not  what  it  is  to  lose  a son. 
Oh,  Rama ! I am  the  chief  rani,  the  first  and  the 
rightful  wife ; I am  the  mother  of  the  heir  to  the 
throne,  and  yet  even  whilst  you  are  here  I have  been 
supplanted  and  am  insulted  by  the  very  servants  of 
my  rival,  and  now  even  my  own  servants  will  see 
Kaikevi’s  son  installed  in  the  raj  1 You,  too,  will  be 
doomed  to  hunger  and  fatigue  and  all  the  horrors  of 
exile.  Surely  there  is  no  room  in  the  mansions  of 
Yama,  or  death  would  have  seized  upon  me  this  day, 
like  a lion  springing  upon  a trembling  doe.  The  Maha- 
raja is  the  victim  of  a bad  woman  ; he  has  brought 
contempt  upon  himself  by  becoming  the  slave  of  his 
mistress.  Oh,  Rama ! Before  this  thing  is  made  pub- 
lic you  ought  to  assume  the  reins  of  government.  You 
can  now  do  so  without  the  aid  of  the  old  raja,  who 
has  sunk  into  his  second  childhood  and  is  the  slave  of 
Kaikeyi.”  “You  are  right,  mother,”  exclaimed 
Lakshmana.  “ You  have  spoken  what  I had  in  my 
own  mind.  I long  to  see  Rama  upon  the  throne,  and 
should  anyone  oppose  him,  I swear  to  you  that  he 
shall  soon  behold  the  mansions  of  Yama.”  But  Rama 
answered,  “ I can  not  transgress  the  commands  of  my 
father.  I therefore  entreat  your  permission,  oh,  my 
mother,  to  depart  into  the  forest.  Xo  one  is  degraded 
by  obedience  to  his  father,  and  having  promised  to 
obey  him,  I can  not  make  my  promise  void.” 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


SITA. 

Still  another  terrible  trial  awaited  the  loyal  heart  of 
Rama.  Taking  tender  leave  of  his  mother  he  went  to 
his  own  home,  where  his  loving  wife  awaited  his  com- 
ing. Seeing  that  he  was  sorrowful,  Slta  inquired,  “Why 
is  it,  Rama,  that  you  are  not  yet  installed  ? Has  the 
moon  not  yet  entered  the  palace  of  Pushya  ?”  He 
then  repeated  to  her  the  sad  story  he  had  already  told 
his  mother  and  added,  “By  the  command  of  my 
venerable  father  I go  this  day  into  the  forest.  It  will 
therefore  become  you  to  devote  yourself  to  my  aged 
mother,  who  is  wasted  with  grief.  Oh,  beloved  one  ! 
I must  depart  to  the  great  forest  and  you  must  remain 
here,  obedient  to  the  commands  of  raja  Bharata.”  But 
the  brave  wife  answered,  “ Oh,  Rama ! What  words 
are  these  ? A wife  must  share  the  fortunes  of  her 
husband,  and  if  you  go  to  the  forest,  I must  go  with 
you  and  smooth  away  the  thorns.  Wherever  the  hus- 
band may  be,  the  wife  must  dwell  in  his  shadow.  I 
shall  live  with  you  in  the  jungle,  and  we  shall 
be  happy  together  in  the  fragrant  woods.  I am 
not  afraid,  and  I long  to  roam  through  the  forest 
with  my  husband  ; but  if  you  leave  me,  oh,  Rama  ! 
I shall  die.”  And  a flood  of  hot  tears  filled  her  eyes  at 
the  thought  of  separation,  although  banishment  from 
home  and  throne,  with  the  man  she  loved,  had  no  power 
to  bring  them  forth. 

Taking  his  brave  young  wife  into  his  arms,  Rama 
said,  ■ “ Oh,  Slta  ! The  forest  is  not  always  pleasant ; 
indeed,  it  is  dangerous.  You  are  the  delicate  daughter 
of  a raja.  You  have  never  braved  even  the  hot  sun 


189 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

of  the  city  streets ; how  then  could  you  live  iu  the 
wilderness  ? Your  feet  are  as  delicate  as  the  petals  of 

a lily  ; how  could  you  walk  on  the  cruel  thorns  of 

the  wood  ? There  are  terrible  serpents  and  crocodiles 
and  tigers.  The  rank  weeds  conceal  snakes  so  veno- 

mous that  even  their  breath  will  kill  a man.  Some- 
times you  would  have  to  live  upon  bitter  roots  and 

fruits.  You  would  thirst  when  you  could  have  no 
water.  For  garments  you  would  have  to  wear  the 
bark  of  trees  and  the  skin  of  an  antelope,  and  at  night 
sleep  upon  grass  or  the  bare  earth.  Reptiles,  mosqui- 
toes,  flies,  and  scorpions  would  bite  and  sting  you  in 
your  sleep.  Fearful  Rakshasas1  (demons)  infest  the 
wilderness,  and  they  will  eat  a man  at  a single 
meal.  Besides,  you  would  be  without  friends,  and  how 
can  that  be  endured  by  a woman  ? You  are  dearer  to 
me  than  my  own  life,  and  I cannot  take  you  into  the 
wilderness  and  expose  you  to  these  terrible  perils.  You 
will  always  be  in  my  thoughts,  but  you  must  remain 
here,  where  I can  at  least  know  that  you  are  safe 
and  comfortable.”  But  she  only  nestled  closer  in  his 
arms,  and  answered  : 

“ A wife  must  share  her  husband’s  fate.  My  duty 
is  to  follow  thee 

Where’er  thou  goest.  Apart  from  thee  I would  not 
dwell  in  heaven  itself  ! 

i These  Rakshasas  are  elsewhere  described  as  shapeless  and  cruel  monsters 
who  perpetrate  terrible  outrages,  changing  their  forms  at  pleasure.  They  are 
represented  as  hiding  in  the  thickets,  casting  away  the  ladles  and  sacrificial 
vessels  of  the  devotees,  and  defiling  their  offerings  with  blood.  The  most 
revolting  descriptions  are  given  of  their  natural  appearance,  although  it  is 
claimed  that  they  can  at  will  assume  the  most  fascinating  features.  The 
myth  has  probably  grown  from  exaggerated  descriptions  of  the  aboriginal 
tribes  found  in  the  jungles  of  India. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Deserted  by  her  lord,  a wife  is  like  a miserable 
corpse. 

Close  as  thy  shadow  would  I cling  to  thee  in  this 
life,  and  hereafter. 

Thou  art  my  king,  my  guide,  my  only  refuge,  my 
divinity. 

It  is  my  fixed  resolve  to  follow  thee.  If  thou  must 
wander  forth 

Through  thorny,  trackless  forests,  I will  go  before 
thee,  treading  down 

The  prickly  brambles  to  make  smooth  thy  path. 
Walking  before  thee  I 

Shall  feel  no  weariness.  The  forest  thorns  will  seem 
like  silken  robes ; 

The  bed  of  leaves,  a couch  of  down.  To  me  the 
shelter  of  thy  presence 

Is  better  far  than  stately  palaces,  and  Paradise  itself. 

Protected  by  thy  arm,  gods,  demons,  men,  shall  have 
no  power  to  harm  me. 

With  thee  I’ll  live  contentedly  on  roots  and  fruits. 
Sweet  or  not  sweet, 

If  given  by  thy  hand,  they  will  to  me  be  like  the 
food  of  life. 

Roaming  with  thee  in  desert  wastes,  a thousand  years 
will  be  a day. 

Dwelling  with  thee,  e’en  hell  itself  would  be  to  me 
a heaven  of  bliss.”1 

But  Rama  yielded  not  to  her  pleadings,  and  seeing 
her  tears  he  bowed  his  head  in  sadness.  Then  she 
drew  her  form  up  to  its  full  height,  and  with  her  dark 

l Williams’  trails.  Ind  Wis.,  p.  366. 


191 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAM  A YANA. 

eyes  flashing  through  her  tears,  she  exclaimed,  “ Shame 
oil  my  father  for  giving  me  to  a man  who  has  no  spirit! 
They  say  that  Rama  is  brave  and  courageous,  but  lie 
is  too  effeminate  to  protect  even  his  own  wife  in  the 
wilderness.  Surely  the  Maha-raja  has  acted  wisely  in 
not  giving  the  kingdom  into  the  hands  of  such  a cow- 
ard ! After  having  married  me  and  pretended  to  love 
me,  he  is  willing  to  desert  me  and  leave  me  in  deso- 
lation and  loneliness  for  fourteen  years.”  But  her 
love  was  stronger  than  her  indignation,  and  breaking 
down  in  the  midst  of  her  upbraiding,  she  said,  “If 
I have  done  wrong,  oh,  my  husband,  forgive  me  ! I 
can  bear  anything  but  separation  from  you.  I entreat 
j’ou  to  take  me  with  you.  Do  not  refuse  me,  oh, 

Rama  ! ” and  weeping  bitterly  she  threw  herself  at  his 
feet. 

Rama  could  no  longer  withstand  her  pitiful  plead- 
ing. Taking  her  in  his  arms,  he  said,  “ Why  do  you 
blame  me,  beloved,  without  understanding  me  ? My 
heart’s  desire  is  always  to  remain  with  you.  I would 
not  care  for  the  throne  of  Brahma  without  you.  But 
when  I thought  of  your  delicate  frame,  I felt  that  I 
could  not  take  you  into  the  wilderness.  Still,  if  you 
are  determined  to  go,  take  leave  of  your  friends,  for 
you  shall  accompany  me.”  Situ,  overjoyed,  hastened 
to  arrange  for  their  departure.  Then  Lakshmana  ap- 
proached his  brother  and  entreated  that  he  might  be 
allowed  to  accompany  them.  Rama  gladly  consented ; 
whereupon  they  took  off  all  their  jewels  and  orna- 
ments, and  even  their  shoes,  and  went  after  the  man- 
ner of  devotees  to  the  palace  to  take  leave  of  Dasara- 
tha. 


102 


TEE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


THE  FAREWELLS. 

A rumor  had  spread  through  the  city  that  instead 
of  the  installation,  Rama  and  his  wife  Sltii,  and  his 
half-brother  Lakshmana,  were  to  be  sent  as  exiles  into 
the  forest  of  Dandaka.  The  people  loved  Rama  as 
they  loved  no  one  else,  and  the  terrible  news  fell  upon 
Ayodhya  like  a funeral  pall.  The  gorgeous  procession 
gradually  separated,  and  mournful  crowds  with  tear- 
stained  faces  took  its  place. 

At  last  the  two  princes  and  the  wife  of  Rama  were 
seen  walking  with  bare  feet  toward  the  palace  of  the 
Maha-raja.  The  indignation  of  the  populace  could  not 
longer  be  suppressed  and  bitter  denunciations  were 
mingled  with  wailings.  The  Maha-raja  was  bitterly 
denounced,  some  declaring  that  he  must  be  possessed 
of  demons  or  he  could  not  do  so  cruel  a thing.  Oth- 
ers sneered  at  his  weakness  in  being  controlled  by  a 
wicked  woman,  and  others  still  proposed  that  all  the 
inhabitants  and  their  families  should  take  their  wealth 
and  follow  Rama  into  tlve  wilderness,  leaving  a de- 
serted city  for  Bharata  and  his  heartless  mother  to 
rule  over. 

While  the  people  were  lamenting,  the  little  party 
approached  the  palace,  and  Counselor  Sumantra  made 
known  to  Dasaratha  that  Rama  was  at  the  door.  The 
Maha-raja  had  summoned  all  the  inmates  of  the  pal- 
ace, and  in  their  presence  was  still  cursing  Kaikeyi 
when  Rama  and  Slta  and  Lakshmana  entered  the  room. 
The  Maha-raja  arose  from  his  seat  to  receive  them, 
but  overcome  with  grief  he  sank  back  again.  Rama 
and  Lakshmana  took  him  up  in  their  arms  and  laid 


193 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 

him  upon  the  royal  couch,  while  the  cries  of  the 
women,  mingled  with  the  clanging  of  their  ornaments, 
filled  the  palace.  Then  Rama  with  joined  hands  said, 
“ I entreat  you,  oh,  Maha-raja,  to  look  with  a pro- 
pitious eye  upon  me  who  am  ready  to  depart  to  the 
wilderness  of  Dandaka.  Permit  also  Lakshmana  and 
Slta  to  accompany  me  to  the  forest.” 

Then  the  Maha-raja  answered,  “ Oh,  Rama ! I have 
been  infatuated  with  this  wicked  woman  — set  aside  my 
command  — become  this  day  the  raja  of  Kosala.”  But 
Rama  replied,  “ My  lord,  the  Maha-raja  has  yet  a thou- 
sand years  to  live  upon  the  earth,  and  I will  abide 
in  the  forest  fourteen  years,  but  when  I have  com- 
pleted the  vow  I will  again  embrace  the  feet  of  my 
father.” 

“ Go,  then,  beloved  son,”  returned  the  Maha-raja, 
“ but  go  in  a safe  and  good  road,  and  go  not  away 
to-day.  Spend  this  night  with  your  mother  and  me, 
and  to-morrow  do  as  you  think  best.  Oh,  Rama ! 
I have  been  deceived  by  a vile  woman,  who  has  cov- 
ered her  evil  designs  as  a fire  is  covered  with  ashes.” 

But  Rama  persisted  in  going  immediately  as  he  had 
promised.  All  the  women  of  the  palace  wept  bitterly 
except  the  remorseless  Kaikeyi.  The  chief  counselor 
also  mingled  his  tears  with  theirs,  but  his  indignation 
overcame  his  grief,  and  turning  with  fierce  denuncia- 
tions upon  Kaikeyi,  he  accused  her  of  murdering  the 
raja  and  his  family,  and  uttered  the  threat  which  the 
people  were  making  — that  they  would  with  one  accord 
desert  the  raj  and  leave  her  and  her  son  in  a deso- 
late city. 

Then  the  Maha-raja  gave  the  following  command  to 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Sumantra : “ Order  the  troops  to  make  ready  at  once 

to  accompany  Rama.  Let  beautiful  dancing  girls  and 
musicians  and  rich  merchants  adorn  the  train  of  my 
son.  Let  the  warlike  engines  follow  Rama,  and  the 
citizens  also.  Let  all  my  storehouses  of  grain  and 
treasure  accompany  my  children  that  they  may  dwell 
happily  in  the  wilderness.”  But  Rama  supplicated  the 
Maha-raja  to  countermand  the  order,  declaring  he  had 
no  use  for  soldiers  or  followers.  So  with  many  lov- 
ing words  to  the  Maha-raja  and  tender  caresses  to  Kau- 
salya,  the  exiled  trio  left  the  palace.  But  the  raja 
declared  that  Rama  should  not  go  away  on  foot  ; if 
he  must  go,  he  should  at  least  travel  in  a style  befit- 
ting the  great  prince  that  he  was.  The  royal  chariot 
was  ordered,  and  Rama  and  Slta  and  Lakshmana  were 
seated  therein,  while  the  chief  counselor  himself  took 
the  reins,  and  guided  the  willing  steeds  as  they  moved 
proudly  away. 

The  whole  city  was  now  in  a state  of  excitement, 
and  the  afflicted  people  ran  after  the  chariot  or  hastily 
mounted  horses  to  accompany  it.  Every  carriage  that 
happened  to  be  ready  was  pressed  into  service,  and  a 
great  crowd  of  people  followed  them.  Even  the  Ma- 
ha-raja and  Kausalya  came  after  them  and  cried  to 
Sumantra  to  rein  in  the  horses  that  they  might  once 
more  look  into  the  face  of  Rama.  But  the  young 
prince  commanded  his  charioteer  to  drive  on  and 
said,  “ When  the  Maha-raja  asks  you  why  you  did  not 
obey  him,  tell  him  that  you  did  not  hear  his  order. 
My  deep  distress  has  driven  me  to  this  falsehood.” 

And  so  the  great  chariot  went  out  of  the  city,  fol- 
lowed by  a vast  concourse  of  mourning  people ; while 


195 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAHA. 

those  who  were  left  behind  were  overcome  with  grief. 
The  black  pall  of  sorrow  rested  upon  the  great  city. 

DEATH  OF  THE  RAJA. 

The  Maha-raja  entered  the  palace  with  a breaking- 
heart,  and  said  to  his  attendants,  “ Carry  me  at  once  to 
the  apartments  of  Kausalya,  the  mother  of  Rama,  for 
only  with  her  can  I find  rest  for  my  tortured  heart.” 
They  carried  him  in  and  laid  him  upon  a gorgeous 
couch,  from  which  he  never  arose.  As  the  city  watch- 
man called  the  hour  of  midnight,  he  said,  “ Oh,  excel- 
lent Kausalya,  take  my  hand  while  I confess  to  you  the 
great  sin  of  my  youth — the  sin  for  which  the  gods  are 
now  sending  this  terrible  woe  upon  me.”  And  holding 
the  hand  of  his  faithful  wife  he  confessed  that  he  had 
years  before  accidentally  caused  the  death  of  an  only 
child,  and  that  the  father  in  cursing  the  author  of  his 
suffering,  had  declared  that  sorrow  for  a child  should 
one  day  bring  the  wanton  prince  to  his  grave.  Said 
the  heart-broken  king  : 

“ One  day  when  rains  refreshed  the  earth  and  caused 
my  heart  to  swell  with  joy, 

When  after  scorching  with  his  rays  the  parched 
ground,  the  summer  sun 

Had  passed  toward  the  south ; when  cooling  breezes 
chased  away  the  heat, 

And  grateful  clouds  arose ; when  frogs  and  pea-fowl 
sported,  and  the  deer 

Seemed  drunk  with  glee,  and  all  the  winged  creation, 
dripping  as  if  drowned. 

Plumed  their  dank  feathers  on  the  tops  of  wind-rocked 
trees,  and  falling  showers 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Covered  the  mountains  till  they  looked  like  watery 
heaps,  and  torrents  poured 

Down  their  sides,  filled  with  loose  stones,  and  red  as 
dawn  with  mineral  earth. 

Winding  like  serpents  in  their  course ; then  at  that 
charming  season,  I, 

Longing  to  breathe  the  air,  went  forth,  with  bow  and 
arrow  in  my  hand, 

To  seek  for  game,  if  haply  by  the  riverside  a 
buffalo, 

Or  elephant,  or  other  animal,  might  cross  at  eve,  my 
path, 

Coming  to  drink.  Then  in  the  dusk  I heard  the 
sound  of  gurgling  water ; 

Quickly  I took  my  bow  and,  aiming  toward  the  sound, 
shot  off  the  dart. 

A cry  of  mortal  agony  came  from  the  spot, — a human 
voice 

Was  heard,  and  a poor  hermit’s  son  fell  pierced  and 
bleeding  in  the  stream. 

‘All,  wherefore  then/  he  cried,  ‘am  I,  a harmless  her- 
mit’s son,  struck  down  ? 

Hither  to  this  lone  brook  I came  at  eve  to  fill  my 
water  jar. 

By  whom  have  I been  smitten  ? whom  have  I offended  ? 
Oh,  I grieve 

Not  for  myself  or  my  own  fate,  but  for  my  parents, 
old  and  blind. 

Who  perish  in  my  death.  Ah ! what  will  be  the  end 
of  that  loved  pair, 

Long  guided  and  supported  by  my  hand  ? This  barbed 
dart  hath  pierced 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA.  197 

Both  me  and  them/  Hearing  that  piteous  voice,  I, 
Dasaratha, 

Who  meant  no  harm  to  any  human  creature,  young  or 
old,  became 

Palsied  with  fear ; my  bow  and  arrows  dropped  from 
my  senseless  hands. 

And  I approached  the  place  in  horror ; there  with  dis- 
may I saw. 

Stretched  on  the  bank,  an  innocent  hermit-boy,  writh- 
ing in  pain  and  smeared 

With  dust  and  blood,  his  knotted  hair  disheveled,  and 
a broken  jar 

Lying  beside  him.  I stood  petrified  and  speechless. 
He  on  me 

Fixed  full  his  eyes,  and  then,  as  if  to  burn  my  inmost 
soul,  he  said  : 

‘ How  have  I wronged  thee,  monarch  ? that  thy  cruel 
hand  has  smitten  me — 

Me,  a poor  hermit’s  son,  born  in  the  forest.  Father, 
mother,  child 

Hast  thou  transfixed  with  this  one  arrow ; they,  my 
parents,  sit  at  home 

Expecting  my  return,  and  long  will  cherish  hope, — a 
prey  to  thirst 

And  agonizing  fears.  Go  to  my  father — tell  him  of 
my  fate. 

Lest  his  dread  curse  consume  thee,  as  the  flame 
devours  the  withered  wood. 

But  first  in  pity  draw  thou  forth  the  shaft  that  pierces 
to  my  heart. 

And  checks  the  gushing  life-blood,  as  the  bank 
obstructs  the  bounding  stream.’ 


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He  ceased,  and  as  he  rolled  his  eyes  in  agony,  and 
quivering  writhed 

Upon  the  ground,  I slowly  drew  the  arrow  from  the 
poor  boy’s  side. 

Then  with  a piteous  look,  his  features  set  in  terror,  he 
expired. 

Distracted  at  the  grievous  crime,  wrought  by  my  hand 
unwittingly. 

Sadly  I thought  within  myself  how  best  I might  repair 
the  wrong, 

Then  took  the  way  he  had  directed  me  toward  the 
hermitage. 

There  I beheld  his  parents,  old  and  blind ; like  two 
clipped,  wingless  birds 

Sitting  forlorn,  without  their  guide,  awaiting  his  arrival 
anxiously, 

And  to  beguile  their  weariness,  conversing  of  him 
tenderly. 

Quickly  they  caught  the  sound  of  footsteps,  and  I 
heard  the  old  man  say 

With  chiding  voice,  ‘ A liy  hast  thou  lingered,  child  ? 
Quick,  give  us  both  to  drink 

A little  water.  Long  forgetful  of  us,  in  the  cooling 
stream 

Hast  thou  disported ; come  in — for  thy  mother  yearneth 
for  her  son  : 

If  she  or  I in  aught  have  caused  thee  pain,  or  spoken 
hasty  words. 

Think  on  thy  hermit’s  duty  of  forgiveness ; bear  them 
not  in  mind. 

Thou  art  the  refuge  of  us  refugeless — the  eyes  of  thy 
blind  sire. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA.  199 

Why  art  thou  silent  ? Speak  ! Bound  up  in  thee  are 
both  thy  parents’  lives.’ 

He  ceased,  and  I stood  paralyzed — till  by  an  effort  res- 
olutely 

Collecting  all  my  powers  of  utterance,  with  faltering 
voice  I said, 

‘ Pious  and  noble  hermit,  I am  not  thy  son ; I am  the 
king ; 

Wandering  with  bow  and  arrow  by  • a stream,  seeking 
for  game,  I pierced. 

Unknowingly,  thy  child.  The  rest  I need  not  tell.  Be 
gracious  unto  me.’ 

Hearing  my  pitiless  words,  announcing  his  bereavement, 
he  remained 

Senseless  awhile ; then  drawing  a deep  sigh,  his  face  all 
bathed  in  tears, 

He  spake  to  me  as  I approached  him  suppliantly,  and 
slowly  said, 

1 Had’st  thou  not  come  thyself  to  tell  the  awful  tale, 
its  load  of  guilt 

Had  crushed  thy  head  into  ten  thousand  fragments. 
This  ill-fated  deed 

Was  wrought  by  thee  unwittingly,  0,  king,  else  had 
thou  not  been  spared. 

And  all  the  race  of  Raghavas  had  perished.  Lead  us 
to  the  place  : 

All  bloody  though  he  be,  and  lifeless,  we  must  look 
upon  our  son 

For  the  last  time  and  clasp  him  in  our  arms.’  Then 
weeping  bitterly, 

The  pair  led  by  my  hand  came  to  the  spot  and  fell 
upon  their  son. 


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Thrilled  by  the  touch,  the  father  cried,  ‘ My  child, 
hast  thou  no  greeting  for  us  P 

No  word  of  recognition  ? Wherefore  liest  thou  here 
upon  the  ground  ? 

Art  thou  offended  ? or  am  I no  longer  loved  by  thee, 
my  son  ? 

See  here  thy  mother.  Thou  wert  ever  dutiful  towards 
us  both. 

Why  wilt  thou  not  embrace  me  ? Speak  one  tender 
word.  Whom  shall  I hear 

Reading  again  the  sacred  Sastra  in  the  early  morning 
hours  ? 

Who  now  will  bring  me  roots  and  fruits  to  feed  me  like 
a cherished  guest  ? 

How,  weak  and  blind,  can  I support  thy  aged  mother 
pining  for  her  son  ? 

Stay  ! Go  not  yet  to  Death’s  abode — stay  with  thy  pa- 
rents yet  one  day. 

To-morrow  we  will  both  go  with  thee  on  the  dreary  way. 
Forlorn 

And  sad,  deserted  by  our  child,  without  protector  in 
the  wood, 

Soon  shall  we  both  depart  toward  the  mansions  of  the 
King  of  Death.’ 

Thus  bitterly  lamenting,  he  performed  the  funeral  rites ; 
then  turning 

Towards  me  thus  addressed  me,  standing  reverently 
near — ‘ I had 

But  this  one  child,  and  thou  hast  made  me  childless. 
Now  strike  down 

The  father.  I shall  feel  no  pain  in  death.  But  thy 
requital  be 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAJIAYAXA. 


201 


That  sorrow  for  a child  shall  one  day  bring  thee  also  to 
the  grave.’”1 

When  he  had  finished  the  sad  recital,  the  king  fell 
back  exhausted,  but  rallied  under  the  influence  of  restor- 
atives applied  by  the  physicians  around  his  bed,  and 
taking  her  hand  again  he  drew  his  stricken  wife  more 
closely  to  him,  saying  in  pitiful,  heart-broken  tones, 
“ Come  nearer,  my  wife,  let  me  feel  your  loving  arms.  I 
cannot  see  you — my  sight  has  gone  after  Rama.”  There 
was  darkness  in  the  city,  but  the  darkness  of  grief  lay 
like  a pall  upon  the  palace  where  the  faithful  watchers 
stood  around  the  dying  king.  Soon  the  throbbing  pulse 
was  still,  the  tortured  heart  had  ceased  to  beat,  and 
the  fainting  wife  was  carried  away  by  her  attendants. 

BHARATA. 

The  prince,  who  had  been  summoned,  came  with  joy 
to  attend,  as  he  supposed,  the  installation  of  Rama,  the 
rightful  heir  to  the  throne.  He  went  first,  however,  to 
his  mother  Kaikeyi,  who  told  him  in  exulting  tones  all 
that  had  taken  place.  But  instead  of  receiving  his 
gratitude  and  congratulations,  she  was  overwhelmed 
with  his  reproaches  and  denunciations  for  her  wicked- 
ness.2 “Have  you  come  into  this  family,”  he  demand- 
ed, “to  destroy  it  as  darkness  destroys  the  universe  ? 
My  father,  the  Maha-raja,  who  suspected  no  evil,  has 
embraced  burning  coals,  and  met  with  his  death  through 
you  ! Oh,  you  are  bent  upon  evil ! This  family  has 
been  forever  robbed  of  happiness  through  your  infatua- 

1 Williams'  trans.  Ind.  Wis.,  pp.  350-352. 

2 It  is  stated  in  the  original  that  the  guiltless  Bharata  was  pained  by 
his  mother's  conduct  as  by  a tumor  that  had  been  opened  with  a knife. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


tion.  The  eldest  among  the  sons  of  a raja  is  always 
appointed  to  the  raj.  This  is  the  rule  amongst  all 
rajas,  and  especially  those  of  our  race.  But  I will  bring 
back  Rama  from  the  wilderness  of  Dandaka.  I will 
bring  the  young  heir  from  the  forest  and  install  him 
upon  his  rightful  throne.” 

Bharata’s  half-brother,  Satru-ghna,  heard  his  words 
and  applauded  the  position  he  had  taken,  and  leaving 
Kaikeyi  overwhelmed  with  shame  and  confusion  the 
two  brothers  went  together  to  the  apartments  of  Kau- 
salya  with  the  glad  news  that  her  beloved  son  was  to 
be  brought  back  from  exile  and  seated  upon  the  throne 
which  was  his  rightful  inheritance. 

On  the  fourteenth  day  after  the  funeral  obsequies 
of  the  Maha-raja,  the  official  time  for  mourning 
having  passed  by,  the  great  council  convened  in  the 
court  hall  of  the  royal  palace,  and  the  counselors  for- 
mally offered  the  throne  to  Bharata.  But  he  replied, 
“ Oh,  excellent  men  ! in  our  family  the  raj  has 
ever  been  considered  the  inheritance  of  the  eldest  son, 
and  it  is  right  that  my  eldest  brother,  Rama,  should 
become  your  raja,  and  that  I should  reside  fourteen 
years  in  the  forest.  Therefore,  prepare  a large  army 
and  I will  lead  them  into  the  forest  and  restore  the 
rightful  heir.  We  will  go  forth  with  a splendid 
retinue  of  troops  with  horses  and  elephants,  bearing 
all  the  sacred  utensils  necessary  for  his  installation, 
and  he  shall  return  to  his  throne  and  kingdom.” 
These  generous  words  were  received  with  shouts  and 
cheers,  even  from  the  high  officials,  and  as  the  news 
spread  through  the  city,  the  people  took  up  the  glad  re- 
frain, and  their  mourning  was  turned  to  joy.  Happy 


203 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAM  A YANA. 

songs  and  laughter  again  sounded  in  the  streets  which 
had  for  days  been  oppressed  with  a pall  of  sadness. 
Strains  of  joyous  music  again  floated  upon  the  air, 
gorgeous  banners  were  once  more  flung  to  the  breeze, 
and  the  very  trees  and  flowers  seemed  to  share  in  the 
general  rejoicing. 


CHAPTER  XY. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA,  CONTINUED. 

LEAVING  THE  ATTENDANTS — THE  GANGES  — CITRA- 
KUTA — LIFE  IN  EXILE  — BIIARATA’S  ARRIVAL  — 
THE  INTERVIEW  — A WARNING  AND  DEPARTURE — 
ATRI  AND  ANASUYA — THE  NEW  HOME — SURPA-NAK- 
HA — HAVANA — THE  ABDUCTION — THE  SEARCH — SU- 
GRlVA,  THE  MONKEY  KING  — EXPEDITION  OF  THE 
MONKEY  GENERAL  — HANUMAN  — LANKA — THE  PAL- 
ACE OF  RAVANA — THE  ASOKA  GROVE — INTERVIEW 
BETWEEN  HANUMAN  AND  SITA — HANUMAN  DESTROYS 
THE  MANGO  GROVE — THE  BURNING  OF  LANKA — HAN- 
UMAN REJOINS  THE  MONKEY  ARMY. 

rpiIE  people  continued  to  follow  the  chariot  of  Rama 
T even  after  the  Maha-raja  had  been  carried  back  to 
the  palace.  Determined  to  share  in  his  fortunes  and 
hardships,  the  great  procession  continued  almost  un- 
broken until  they  reached  the  banks  of  the  beautiful 
river  Tamasa,  where  it  was  determined  to  encamp  for 
the  night.  So  the  horses  were  loosed  and  allowed  to 
drink  from  the  clear  flood  before  being  tethered  for  the 
night,  'while  the  people  ate  of  the  wild  fruits,  and 
making  beds  of  the  forest  leaves  lay  down  to  sleep 
beneath  the  great  trees. 

In  the.  early  morning  Rama  awakened  Sumantra 
and  his  brother  and  said  to  them,  “These  devoted 

204 


205 


THE  STORY  OE  THE  RAM  A YANA. 

people  have  vowed  to  take  us  back,  and  they  will 
never  leave  us  while  their  lives  remain.  Let  us  there- 
fore quietly  mount  the  chariot  and  depart  while  they 
are  still  asleep/’  Then  Sumantra  harnessed  the  horses 
as  quietly  as  possible,  and  Rama  with  his  wife  and 
brother  entered  the  chariot.  The  charioteer,  in  com- 
pliance with  Rama’s  request,  drove  the  horses  slowly 
backward  over  the  route  by  which  they  came,  that  the 
people  might  not  be  able  to  follow  their  track,  and  then 
turning  took  a different  direction  into  the  wilderness. 

When  the  people  awoke  and  found  that  the  chariot 
had  gone,  they  followed  its  backward  track  until  it 
was  lost  in  a multitude  of  others  ; then  they  returned 
with  sad  hearts  to  the  city  of  mourning. 

CROSSING  THE  GANGES. 

In  the  meantime  the  chariot  of  Rama  pursued  its 
way  to  the  sacred  shores  of  the  Ganges.  The  deep, 
cool  waters  were  dashing  between  the  green  banks  in 
a rapid  current,  then  rolling  away  into  the  quiet  pools 
below,  where  the  creamy  lotus  blossoms  raised  their 
heads  above  the  bright  surface  and  loaded  the  air  with 
their  fragrant  breath.  Just  above  them  the  fair  river 
gleamed  like  a stream  of  silver  against  the  golden 
sands  upon  the  shore,  and  around  them  were  massive 
trees,  some  of  which  were  laden  with  flowers,  and 
others  bending  low  beneath  a weight  of  golden  fruit. 
Here  they  paused  to  pay  their  tribute  of  devotion  to 
the  beautiful  river  by  chanting  the  musical  Hindu 
name  of  Ganga  ! Ganga  ! 

Then  the  fair  goddess  of  the  stream  raised  their 
chariot  in  her  hands  and  bore  it  in  the  air  above  the 


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waters  to  the  other  side.  This  was  the  river  which  fell 
to  earth  from  the  divine  feet  of  Vishnu.1  Ganga  was 
the  eldest  daughter  of  Himavat,  “Lord  of  the  Moun- 
tains,” but  the  beautiful  river  flowed  only  through  the 
fields  of  heaven. 

Sagara,  an  early  king  of  Ayodhya,  had  sixty  thou- 
sand sons,  and  he  sent  them  out  one  day  to  recover  a 
horse  which  had  been  designed  for  the  Asva-medha 
sacrifice,  but  had  been  stolen  by  a Kakshasa.  The 
gigantic  sons  of  the  solar  race  having  searched  the 
earth  unsuccessfully,  proceeded  to  dig  through  into 
the  lower  regions ; they  found  many  wonderful  things 
in  the  course  of  their  excavations,  and  at  last  met  a 
living  sage,  Kapila.  They  promptly  accused  him  of 
having  stolen  the  horse,  when  he  responded  to  their 
accusation  by  reducing  them  all  to  ashes.  The  grand- 
son of  Sagara  attempted  to  perform  the  funeral  rites, 
bnt  was  told  that  the  Ganga  must  water  the  ashes 
with  her  sacred  stream.  Bhagiratha,  the  great-grand- 
son of  Sagara,  then  performed  severe  penances  to 
induce  the  gods  to  send  down  the  celestial  river.  He 
was  told  that  his  recpiest  should  be  granted,  but  he 
must  secure  the  intervention  of  Siva,  or  the  earth 
would  be  destroyed  by  the  force  of  the  torrent. 

“As  thou  prayest  it  shall  be. 

Ganga,  whose  waves  in  heaven  flow, 

Is  daughter  of  the  Lord  of  Snow. 

Win  Siva  that  his  aid  be  lent 
To  hold  her  in  her  mid  descent. 

For  earth  alone  will  never  bear 
These  torrents  from  the  upper  air.” 


i The  fountain  of  the  Ganges  is  said  to  be  in  the  great  toe  of  this  god. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA.  207 

lie  therefore  propitiated  Siva,  who  at  last  consented 
to  stand  beneath  the  descending  torrent  and  break  its 

fall. 

“ On  Siva’s  head  descending  first, 

A rest  the  torrents  found. 

Then  down  in  all  their  might  they  burst 
And  roared  along  the  ground; 

On  countless  glittering  scales  the  beam 
Of  rosy  morning  flashed. 

Where  fish  and  dolphins  through  the  stream 
Fallen  and  falling  dashed. 

Then  bards  who  chant  celestial  lays. 

And  nymphs  of  heavenly  birth. 

Flocked  round  upon  that  flood  to  gaze 
That  streamed  from  sky  to  earth. 

The  gods  themselves  from  every  sphere. 
Incomparably  bright. 

Borne  in  their  golden  cars  drew  near 
To  see  the  wondrous  sight. 

The  cloudless  sky  was  all  aflame 
With  the  light  of  a hundred  suns 
Where’er  the  shining  chariots  came 
That  bore  these  holy  ones. 

So  flashed  the  air  with  crested  snakes 
And  fish  of  every  hue 
As  when  the  lightning’s  glory  breaks 
Through  fields  of  summer  blue. 

And  white  foam-clouds  and  silver  spray 
Were  wildly  tossed  on  high, 

Like  swans  that  urge  their  homeward  way 
Across  the  autumn  sky.”1 


i Griffith’s  trails.,  Vol  I,  p.  194, 


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Thus  flowing  down  the  long  coils  of  Siva’s  hair,  the 
fearful  torrent  reached  the  earth  and  fell  into  Vindu 
Lake,1  whence  proceed  the  seven  sacred  streams  of  In- 
dia. Immediately  after  crossing  the  Ganges,  Kama  dis- 
missed Sumantra,  sending  him  back  to  Ayodhya  with 
the  chariot  and  with  admonitions  to  be  careful  of  the 
feelings  of  the  Maha-raja,  and  thoughtful  for  the  hap- 
piness of  his  mother,  Kausalya.  lie  also  sent  kind 
salutations  to  Bharata,  as  the  ruler  of  the  raj.  In  vain 
the  faithful  Sumantra  pleaded  to  he  allowed  to  spend 
the  fourteen  years  of  exile  with  them  and  carry  them 
home  in  the  chariot.  lie  was  kindly  but  firmly  sent 
back  to  the  city  without  them. 

CITKA-KUTA. 

“ Lakshmana,  ” said  Kama,  “my  poor  Sita  will  now 
be  obliged  to  endure  the  privations  of  forest  life,  and 
the  fear  of  lions  and  tigers  and  other  wild  animals. 
We  will  protect  her  as  far  as  lies  in  our  power.  You 
may  go  on  before  and  I will  follow  behind  her,  that 
she  may  be  shielded  on  all  sides.”  Then  taking 
their  bows  and  arrows  in  their  hands  they  walked 
bravely  into  the  forest.  They  traveled  slowly  and 
carefully,  with  occasional  rests  on  account  of  Slta’s 
tender  feet,  until  they  came  near  to  the  beautiful  moun- 
tain of  Citra-kuta. 

A fair  green  slope  which  lay  at  its  feet  was  cov- 
ered with  flowering  trees,  in  whose  fragrant  blossoms 
the  wild  bees  drowsily  hummed  as  they  gathered  the 
honey  from  the  tinted  cups  and  stored  it  away  in  the 

i No  such  lake  is  known,  anti  of  the  seven  sacred  streams  men- 
tioned in  the  legend  only  two  (the  Ganges  and  the  Indus)  are  known 
to  geographers. 


209 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  Y AKA. 

great  combs  hanging  beneath  the  shelving  rocks.  In 
the  crevice  of  the  cliff  the  crystal  springs  formed  cas- 
cades that  went  dashing  down  the  mountain-side  and 
poured  their  cool  waters  into  the  river  MandakinI  as 
it  swept  around  the  base  of  the  slope  and  rolled  away 
in  the  distance.  Beyond  the  flowering  trees  and  just 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  stood  a group  of  lofty 
pipals,  whose  trunks  were  enwreathed  with  flowering 
vines,  like  garlands  festooned  upon  the  columns  of 
some  fair  temple.  AVhile  they  looked  a gazelle,  which 
had  never  been  startled  by  man,  walked  carelessly  out 
of  the  shade  and  went  down  to  the  river  to  drink  of 
its  clear  waters. 

Enchanted  with  the  scene,  Kama  turned  to  his 
brother  with  the  words,  “ This  shall  be  our  wildwood 
home ; we  will  build  a cot  beneath  those  trees,  and  in 
the  shade  of  the  sacred  mountain  we  will  spend  the 
years  of  our  exile.”  Then  turning  to  Sita,  he  put  his 
arm  around  her  and  said  : 

“ Look  round  thee,  dear  ; each  flowery  tree 
Touched  with  the  fire  of  morning  see. 

The  Kinsuk,1  now  the  frosts  are  fled. 

How  glorious  with  his  wreaths  of  red ! 

The  bel  trees  see,  so  loved  of  men, 

Hanging  their  boughs  in  every  glen, 

O’erburdened  with  their  fruits  and  flowers  ! 

A plenteous  store  of  food  is  ours. 

See,  Lakshman  ! in  the  lofty  trees. 

Where’er  they  make  their  home, 

Down  hangs  the  work  of  laboring  bees. 

The  ponderous  honey-comb  ! 


i The  bulea  frondosa,  which  has  gorgeous  red  blossoms. 


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In  the  fair  wood  before  us  spread 
The  startled  wild  cock  cries. 

Hark,  where  the  flowers  are  soft  to  tread 
The  peacock’s  voice  replies  ! 

Where  elephants  are  roaming  free. 

And  sweet  birds’  songs  are  loud, 

The  glorious  Citra-kuta  see, 

His  peaks  are  in  the  cloud. 

On  fair,  smooth  ground  he  stands  displayed. 

Begirt  by  many  a tree. 

01),  brother,  in  that  holy  shade 
How  happy  we  shall  be  ! ” 1 

LIFE  IN  EXILE. 

Beneath  the  dense  foliage  of  the  tropical  trees 
Lakshmana  built  a tent  with  graceful  branches  and 
entwined  it  with  the  gigantic  flowering  vines  that  grew 
around  it,  forming  a bower  of  beauty  and  fragrance. 
Free  from  the  cares  of  state,  the  young  prince  gave 
himself  up  to  the  offering  of  sacrificial  rites  and  to  the 
company  of  his  beautiful  wife. 

To  Kama  and  Slta  every  tree  and  flower  were  glori- 
fied by  the  divine  light  of  love.  Hand  in  hand  they 
wandered  through  the  long  aisles  of  woodland  beauty 
and  gathered  the  rich  fruits  and  fragrant  flowers  of  the 
forest. 

Luxury  can  never  taste  of  happiness,  if  it  is  not 
offered  by  the  hand  of  affection  ; but  love  can  be  su- 
premely happy  even  in  the  home  of  poverty,  for  priva- 
tion has  no  power  to  break  the  chain  which  gilds  even 
her  own  ruggedness  with  beauty. 


l Book  2,  Canto  56. 


211 


THE  STORY  OF  TIIE  RAMAYANA. 

As  each  day  was  ushered  in  by  the  golden  light  of 
morning,  which  touched  the  sacred  peak  with  fire,  it 
brought  a new  crown  of  peace  and  happiness  to  the 
inmates  of  the  leafy  cot  in  the  shade  of  the 
mountain. 

bharata’s  arrival. 

At  the  close  of  a peaceful  day  the  exiles  stood  in 
the  balmy  air  making  their  oblation  to  the  setting  sun, 
as  he  passed  through  the  crimson  gates  of  evening, 
when  they  were  startled  by  a group  of  wild  elephants 
that  dashed  in  terror  through  the  waves  of  the  Manda- 
kinl  and  rushed  into  the  jungle  beyond.  In  another 
moment  a herd  of  frightened  deer  ran  by  the  mountain, 
and  the  birds  flew  over  their  heads  in  wild  confusion. 
“ My  brother,”  said  Rama,  “ do  you  hear  this  ominous 
roar,  deep  and  terrible  as  thunder  ? It  sounds  like  the 
approach  of  a hostile  army,  but  it  may  be  that  the 
animals  and  birds  are  terrified  by  lions  that  have  come 
into  the  jungle.”  Then  Lakshmana  hastily  ascended 
an  eminence  and  looking  far  away  into  the  distance 
beheld  the  approaching  army  of  Bharata.  No  wonder 
that  the  denizens  of  the  forest  had  fled  in  wild  affright, 
for  there  in  the  light  of  the  setting  sun  were  nine 
thousand  elephants  richly  caparisoned,  sixty  thousand 
chariots  with  archers,  a hundred  thousand  horsemen, 
and  a multitude  of  footmen,  the  whole  city  having 
followed  Bharata  upon  his  journey  into  the  wilderness. 
There  were  the  ladies  of  the  royal  household,  with 
Kausalya,  the  royal  widow,  at  their  head.  There  were 
the  priests  and  the  royal  counselors  in  chariots  vying 
in  splendor  with  the  chariot  of  the  sun.  There  were 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


musicians  and  dancing  girls,  gaily  appareled  in  brilliant 
colors. 

Lakshmana  gazed  for  a moment  in  silence  upon  the 
gorgeous  pageant ; then  he  said  to  his  brother,  “ Oh, 
chief  of  men  ! This  must  be  the  army  of  Bharata, 
the  son  of  Kaikeyi.  Jealous  even  of  exiles  in  the 
wilderness,  he  is  coming  to  destroy  us  both.  I see  his 
flag  upon  the  chariot ; he  comes  like  a destroying 
king.” 

But  Rama  answered,  “ Perhaps  Bharata  has  come 
hither  for  affection  only,  or  to  surrender  the  raj  to 
me.  Why  do  you  speak  so  harshly  of  him  ?” 

Lakshmana  replied,  “ Possibly  the  Maha-raja  has 
come  to  see  you,  and  will  take  us  home  again.  I 
see  the  great  imperial  elephant  marching  at  the  head 
of  the  army,  but  I cannot  see  the  white  canopy  of 
our  royal  father.” 

When  the  procession  came  near  the  mountain,  Bha- 
rata ordered  a halt,  that  only  himself  and  his  brother. 
Satru-ghna,  with  the  chief  counselor,  Sumantra,  should 
first  approach  the  exiled  prince. 

THE  INTERVIEW. 

The  three  men  approached  the  mountain  and  came 
toward  the  large  and  pleasant  tent.  Above  the  door 
of  the  outer  room  was  placed  an  enormous  bow,  gleam- 
ing with  gold,  like  the  bow  of  Indra,  and  beside  it 
rested  a great  quiver  of  arrows,  as  bright  as  the  rays 
of  the  sun  and  as  keen  as  the  face  of  a serpent.  Be- 
fore the  door  of  the  tent  Bharata  saw  bis  elder  brother, 
dressed  in  the  garb  of  a devotee,  and  near  him  Lak- 
shmana, also  wearing  garments  of  bark,  while  the  beau- 


213 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAKA. 

tiful  Sifcil  was  nestling  close  to  her  husband,  her  great 
dark  eyes  dilated  with  wonder  and  fear. 

Then  Bharata  bowed  himself  in  tears  at  the  feet  of 
Rama,  saying,  “This  is  my  elder  brother,  who  once 
had  thousands  of  suits  of  apparel,  who  is  now  wearing 
vestments  of  bark.  The  body  of  that  excellent  one, 
which  was  formerly  perfumed  with  costly  sandalwood, 
is  covered  with  the  dust  of  the  forest.  Rama,  who 
is  worthy  of  all  happiness,  has  undergone  all  of  these 
privations  because  of  me  ! ” 

But  Rama  embraced  his  brother,  saying,  “ Oh,  be- 
loved brother!  where  is  our  father  Dasaratha  that  you 
have  come  to  this  forest  ? Is  the  Maha-raja  alive,  or 
has  he  departed  from  this  life?’  Bharata  replied  with 
joined  hands,  “ Oh,  excellent  one  ! my  valiant  father, 
having  sent  you  into  exile  at  the  instance  of  my  mother 
Kaikeyi,  has  departed  to  heaven,  overwhelmed  with 
grief.”  At  the  announcement  of  this  terrible  news, 
which  fell  upon  Rama  like  a thunderbolt  from  Indra, 
the  prince  sank  upon  the  ground,  like  a lofty  tree  that 
has  been  felled  with  the  ax. 

It  was  a pitiful  scene  of  mourning  at  the  foot  of 
the  silent  mountain,  when  the  gallant  brothers  mingled 
their  tears  together  over  the  memory  of  their  dead 
father.  Then  Rama  and  his  brothers  walked  down 
to  the  river  Mandakini,  and  descending  into  the  stream 
performed  the  funeral  oblations  for  their  father.  As 
the  prince  sprinkled  the  water  toward  the  regions  of 
Yama,  he  exclaimed,  “ Oh,  raja  of  rajas  ! may  this 
pure  water  given  to  you  by  me  always  quench  your 
thirst  in  the  spirit-land.”  Then  holding  the  hands  of 
his  brothers  he  led  them  again  to  the  door  of  the  tent. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  troops  now  advanced,  bringing  Kausalya  and 
the  ladies  of  the  royal  household,  including  the  hu- 
miliated Kaikeyl.  Rama  fell  down  at  the  lotus-like  feet 
of  his  mother,  who  wiped  the  dust  from  his  hair  wTith 
her  soft  caressing  hands ; then  twining  her  arms  around 
him  as  he  arose  to  his  feet,  she  wept  for  joy  in  the 
arms  of  her  manly  son. 

At  length  Bharata  addressed  Rama  in  the  presence 
of  the  troops  and  the  attendants  with  the  words,  “My 
mother  Kaikeyl  having  given  the  raj  to  me  is  satis- 
fied, and  now  I give  it  to  you.  Oh,  Rama  ! with 
bowed  head  I entreat  you  to  wipe  off  the  guilt  of  my 
mother’s  anger  and  deliver  my  father  from  sin.  But 
if  you  turn  your  back  upon  me  and  persist  in  going 
farther  into  the  forest,  I will  surely  go  with  you.” 
But  Rama  answered  him,  “Nay,  Bharata,  you  must 
be  the  raja  of  men,  and  I will  be  the  raja  of  wild 
beasts.  The  royal  canopy  shall  shade  your  head  from 
the  sun,  while  mine  shall  be  shaded  by  the  trees  of 
the  wood.” 

In  this  useless  pleading  the  night  wore  away.  "When 

a 

the  morning  sun  again  illumined  the  peaks  of  Citra- 
kuta,  Bharata  brought  to  the  prince  a pair  of  sandals 
embroidered  with  gold  and  besought  him  to  put  them 
on.  Rama  did  so  and  returned  them  to  his  brother, 

who  bowed  low  before  them,  saying,  “ For  fourteen 

years  I will  wear  the  garb  of  a devotee  and  live  upon 
roots  and  fruits.  I will  reside  without  the  city,  await- 
ing your  return,  and  I will  commit  the  management 

of  the  raj  to  your  sandals.  If  you  do  not  return  to 
Ayodhya  within  five  days  after  the  completion  of  the 
fourteenth  year,  I will  enter  my  pyre,” 


215 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMlYANA. 

Bharata  then  embraced  his  two  brothers,  and  plac- 
ing the  sandals  upon  his  head,  mounted  his  chariot, 
and  with  all  of  his  attendants,  both  horse  and  foot, 
returned  to  Ayodhya.  But  the  deserted  city  was  trav- 
ersed by  bats  and  owls ; it  was  bereft  of  music  and 
song.  It  was  like  a necklace  from  which  the  jewels 
have  been  taken,  or  a star  which  has  fallen  to  the 
earth.  Bharata  refused  to  enter  its  walls.  The  grand 
procession  swept  slowly  and  sorrowfully  in,  while  Bha- 
rata stayed  at  Nandi-grama,  just  outside  the  city. 
Here  he  assumed  the  garb  and  matted  hair  of  a de- 
votee, and  here  he  was  installed,  while  he  himself 
held  the  royal  canopy  over  the  sandals  of  Rama.  All 
the  affairs  of  the  government  were  transacted  under 
the  authority  of  the  sandals,  and  Bharata,  while  rul- 
ing the  raj,  paid  homage  to  them.  All  the  presents 
and  offerings  which  were  brought  to  the  sovereign 
were  laid  before  the  sandals,  and  all  matters  of  state 
were  first  presented  there  and  afterward  adjusted  by 
Bharata. 

A WARNING  AND  DEPARTURE. 

After  the  departure  of  Bharata  and  his  army,  the 
quiet  life  at  the  foot  of  Citra-kuta  flowed  on  in  its 
peaceful  channel.  The  seasons  came  and  went,  bring- 
ing new  glory  with  every  change.  The  outside  world 
rushed  on,  wearing  its  cares  and  bearing  its  burdens, 
but  they  came  not  to  the  woodland  home  of  the  ex- 
iles. Situ  had  made  friends  with  the  wild  gazelles, 
that  came  down  to  drink  from  the  cool  waves  of  the 
Mandakini,  and  as  she  approached  them  they  raised 
their  beautiful  eyes  and  looked  fearlessly  into  her  own. 


216 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  birds  made  their  nests  in  the  trees  above  her  head 
and  fluttered  down  to  the  door  of  her  leafy  home  to 
find  the  food  which  she  never  failed  to  furnish  them. 

But  a great  sage  who  lived  in  a hermitage  not  far 
away,  came  to  them  one  day  and  bade  them  beware 
of  the  Rakshasas  who  infested  the  great  jungle  be- 
yond them.  The  Rakshasas  were  demons  who  fed 
upon  living  men  and  changed  their  own  forms  at 
pleasure.  Of  late  they  had  become  more  abundant 
and  obtrusive,  and  the  hermits  had  all  decided  to 
leave  the  dangerous  region.  The  sage  besought  Rama, 
also,  to  heed  the  warning  and  go. 

So  they  bade  farewell  to  the  bright  bower  beneath 
the  massive  trees  and  went  forth  again  into  the  wilder- 
ness. 

ATRI  AND  ANASUYA. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  day  of  their  journey  they 
arrived  at  the  hermitage  of  a holy  sage  named  Atri,  who 
lived  in  the  wild  forest  with  his  excellent  wife,  Anasuya, 
and  had  sanctified  his  life  by  long  penance.  lie  gave 
them  a cordial  welcome,  for  even  the  birds  seemed 
to  have  heard  the  story  of  the  illustrious  Rama.  He 
introduced  his  wife  to  the  exiled  prince,  saying  : “Oh, 
sinless  one  ! This,  my  wife,  is  a Brahmani,  renowned 
for  her  vows  and  the  constant  performance  of  pious 
deeds.  By  the  power  of  her  austerities  rain  was 
brought  and  fruits  and  flowers  were  produced  during 
a ten  years’  dearth,  and  the  holy  Ganga  was  brought 
near  our  dwelling.  If  she  ask  of  the  gods  any  boon 
it  will  be  granted  her.  I beseech  you  to  let  your  beau- 
tiful Sita  go  into  her  presence.”  Then  Rama  said  to 


217 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAFTA. 

his  wife,  “Do  you  hear  the  words  of  the  sage?  You 
may  go  now  into  the  presence  of  Anasuya.”  Then 
Sita  approached  with  reverent  mien  the  aged  woman 
and  bowed  at  her  feet.  The  venerable  matron  said 
to  her,  “Oh,  honorable  Slta, ! You  have  abandoned  your 
relatives  aud  friends  to  follow  your  brave  husband 
into  exile.  The  woman  who  loves  her  lord  will  ob- 
tain a great  reward  hereafter.” 

Sita  replied  : “ It  is  true  that  a woman  should  love  her 
husband,  even  though  he  be  poor  and  wicked,  but  how 
much  more  must  she  reverence  him  when  he  is  the 
embodiment  of  virtue  and  kindness.”  The  aged  woman 
then  drew  the  fair  face  of  Sita  toward  her,  and  im- 
pressed a reverent  kiss  upon  her  forehead,  saying,  “ I am 
greatly  pleased  with  thee,  beautiful  one,  and  I wish  to 
confer  a blessing  upon  thee.  Thou  shalt  ever  wear  thy 
youthful  beauty,  and  thy  silken  raiment  shall  never 
become  soiled  or  frayed — thou  shalt  always  remain  thy 
beautiful  self.  Time  cannot  tarnish  thy  beauty  nor 
soil  thv  fair  robes.” 

On  receiving  the  crown  of  eternal  youth  and  beauty, 
Sita  thought  only  of  Kama  and  the  pleasure  that  it 
would  bring  to  his  heart.  “I  shall  be  more  beautiful 
in  his  sight,”  she  whispered.  “ Oh,  pearl  amongst  wo- 
men ! Thou  hast  filled  my  heart  with  gladness.”  When 
Rama  and  Lakshmana  heard  that  Sita  was  to  retain 
her  youthful  beauty  through  all  the  coming  years,  they 
rejoiced  with  her  that  she  was  thus  favored  above  all 
others. 

They  were  cordially  tendered  the  modest  hospitali- 
ties of  the  hermitage  for  the  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing inquired  of  the  devotees  where  they  could  find  a 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


pleasant  home  in  the  forest.  But  they  were  told  that 
the  whole  wilderness  of  Dandaka  was  infested  with 
the  terrible  Rakshasas,  whom  it  was  hoped  Prince 
Rama  would  be  able  to  destroy,  or  stop  their  depreda- 
tions. 

THE  NEW  HOME. 

The  morning  sunlight  was  crowning  the  distant 
mountain  tops  with  glory  and  piercing  with  its  rays 
the  dense  foliage  of  the  tropical  forest,  when  the 
homeless  ones  again  set  out  to  find  a resting-place. 
The  air  was  perfumed  with  the  breath  of  the  blossom- 
laden mango  trees ; the  tall  tamarinds  lifted  their 
feathery  plumes  in  the  distance  ; flowering  creepers  of 
gigantic  size  and  gorgeous  colors  festooned  the  jungle  ; 
and  water  lilies  rested  their  pearly  caps  upon  the 
bosom  of  every  pool. 

They  wandered  through  the  beautiful  scene  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  children,  for  the  changeful  face  of  nature 
never  wearies  her  faithful  lovers,  and  this  was  the  flow- 
ery forest  of  Pawcavatl. 

“ Here  is  beauty  and  happiness,”  exclaimed  Rama. 
“ Let  us  seek  a place  for  our  hermitage  in  some  pleas- 
ant thicket,  where  the  sacrificial  wood  may  be  obtained, 
and  near  a flowing  stream  whose  banks  are  covered 
with  flowers  and  kusa  grass.” 

They  found  the  place  they  sought  in  a beautiful 
spot  on  the  shores  of  the  bright  river  Godavari,  whose 
gentle  current  sang  in  a musical  monotone  as  the 
clear  waters  wandered  away.  Near  it,  gleaming  like  a 
gem  in  the  sunshine,  was  a lake,  which  fed  the  stream 
and  made  the  breezes  fragrant  with  the  breath  of  its 
white  lilies. 


219 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAJIAYANA 

Their  hermitage  was  built  of  the  flexible  bamboos, 
and  the  rooms  were  tapestried  with  branches  of  broad- 
leaved evergreens  and  beautified  with  floral  vines  and 
bunches  of  golden  fruit.  When  Lakshmana  had 
finished  his  task  he  went  down  to  the  shores  of  the 
lake  to  gather  fruits  and  water  lilies.  He  made 
an  oblation  of  the  flowers  to  the  god  of  dwellings  and 
sprinkled  water,  according  to  the  ordinance,  to  secure 
peace  to  the  new  habitation.  There  in  their  leafy 
home  the  exiles  dwelt  happily  for  many  days ; but 
even  amidst  the  fruits  and  flowers  of  Pa/mavati  they 
were  still  in  the  doleful  wilderness  of  Dandaka.  Loath- 
some serpents  were  coiled  in  the  flower- wreathed  jun- 
gle and  the  Rakshasas  roamed  the  woods,  unseen  by 
mortal  eye. 

SURPA-NAKHA. 

One  of  the  Rakshasas  was  a female  demon,  who 
often  watched  Rama  and  Sita  as  they  sat  beneath  the 
plantain  trees  or  gathered  lilies  from  the  clear  surface 
of  the  lake.  Their  innocent  love  and  happiness  was 
gall  and  bitterness  to  her  vile  nature,  and  as  evil  crea- 
tures cannot  witness  domestic  happiness  without  wish- 
ing to  destroy  it,  Surpa-nakha  began  to  plot  for  their 
ruin.  As  she  gazed  upon  the  noble  form  and  rich 
complexion1  of  Rama,  she  became  enamored  of  his 
manly  beauty,  which  formed  so  strong  a contrast  to  her 
own  repulsive  features ; for  while  he  was  pure,  noble, 
and  chaste,  she  was  so  vile  that  she  failed  to  win  the 
respect  even  of  the  low  creatures  with  whom  she  lived. 

i Rama  is  frequently  represented  as  having  a complexion  which  is  of  a 
bright  green  “like  new  grass,’’  although  as  an  incarnation  of  Vishnu  his 
color  should  be  dark  blue. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


“ She,  grim  of  eye  and  foul  of  face. 

Loved  his  sweet  glance  and  forehead's  grace — 

She,  whose  foul  wig  uncleanly  hung, 

Him,  whose  dark  locks  on  high  brows  clung.” 

Day  after  day  she  haunted  their  footsteps,  becoming 
more  and  more  infatuated  with  Rama,  and  more  deter- 
mined to  destroy  their  happiness  and  ruin  this  pure 
man  by  polluting  him  with  her  vile  associations.  She 
saw  him  chaste  and  true,  and  longed  to  degrade  him 
to  her  own  level  by  bringing  him  under  her  vile  influ- 
ence. What  a grand  chief  he  would  make  for  a 
Rakslnisas  tribe,  if  she  could  but  decoy  him  into  their 
camp  and  use  his  noble  life  for  her  own  base 
service ! 

She  loved  Rama,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call  that  love, 
which  was  only  the  passion  of  a degraded  creature  seek- 
ing to  pollute  and  destroy  her  victim,  if,  then,  she 
could  steal  from  Sita  the  loving  heart  of  her  husband 
and  rob  them  of  their  leafy  home,  both  her  lust  and  her 
avarice  would  be  gratified.  As  she  lingered  one  day 
gazing  upon  them,  she  turned  green  with  envy  and 
ground  her  teeth  in  her  rage.  Rut  she  could  assume 
other  forms  at  her  pleasure,  and  she  muttered,  “I,  too, 
can  wear  the  face  and  form  of  beauty  ; I,  too,  can  as- 
sume the  manners  of  an  innocent  woman,  and  1 will 
show  her  that  she  cannot  stand  between  me  and  my 
wishes.” 

So  saying,  she  sjirang  to  her  feet  and  assumed  a 
form  of  beauty  and  grace.  Then  going  out  into  the 
thicket  she  uttered  a piercing  shriek  of  distress  to  lure 
Rama  from  the  side  of  his  wife.  He  gallantly  rushed 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 


221 


into  the  forest  to  rescue  a woman  in  distress  and  be- 
held the  beautiful  creature,  who  appealed  to  his  sym- 
pathies so  effectually  that  he  could  not  at  once  tear 
himself  away  from  her.  She  approached  him  and  with 
pleading  eyes  besought  him  to  flee  from  the  terrible 
Rakshasas  of  the  wood,  while  her  own  loveliness  and  ap- 
parent helplessness  appealed  to  him  for  protection. 
Drawing  nearer  and  holding  her  beautiful  face  up  to- 
ward his  own  she  poured  forth  a passionate  story  of  her 
love  for  him.  Flattered  by  the  approaches  of  the  siren 
he  addressed  her  with  winning  compliments,  but  at  last 
explained  that  he  was  already  bound  by  the  marriage 
tie,  and  she  would  not  wish  to  share  his  caresses  with 
a rival.  “There  shall  be  no  rival  between  me  and 
Rama!”  she  screamed  ; “ I will  destroy  this  odious 
Sit  a.”  She  ran  towards  the  tent ; but  Lakshmana 
divined  her  cruel  purpose  and  with  a drawn  sword  cut 
off  her  nose  and  ears,  whereupon  she  rushed  into  the 
woods,  making  the  echoes  ring  with  her  shrieks  and 
vowing  vengeance  upon  the  mortals  who  had  thus 
thwarted  and  disfigured  her.  She  cast  off  her  disguise 
and  wore  a personal  appearance  corresponding  to  her 
moral  depravity ; her  claw-like  hands  returned,  and 
demon  that  she  was  she  bounded  through  the  forest, 
howling  with  rage  and  pain,  and  rushed  into  the  pres- 
ence of  her  brother  Khara. 

Seeing  his  sister  covered  with  blood  and  almost  ex- 
hausted with  fury,  he  exclaimed,  “Who  has  done  this? 
Who  is  there,  who  even  in  sport  would  vex  with  his 
finger  a black  serpent  full  of  venom  ? Who  would  take 
the  rope  of  death  and  tie  it  around  his  own  neck  ? Yet 
the  man  who  lias  done  this  has  drunk  of  the  deadly 
poison.” 


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Then  Siirpa-nakha  told  her  story  in  her  own  way, 
and  the  enraged  brother,  calling  fourteen  powerful 
Rakshasas,  commanded  them  to  go  with  his  sister  and 
bring  the  three  exiles  to  him  as  prisoners.  Wild  with 
rage  and  filling  the  air  with  their  maledictions  the 
Rakshasas  fell  upon  the  hermitage,  but  only  to  receive 
from  the  bow  of  Rama  fourteen  bright  arrows,  which 
sjied  through  the  air  like  meteors,  piercing  their  black 
hearts  and  carrying  them  to  the  regions  of  Yaina. 

Surpa-nakha  gave  one  piercing  shriek  and  fled  to 
Khara  with  the  tidings  that  his  bravest  warriors  were 
slain.  He  replied  in  a voice  like  thunder,  “ Wipe  away 
your  tears  end  shake  off  your  terror,  for  this  day  I will 
send  these  mortals  to  the  abode  of  Yama.”  Then  turn- 
ing to  his  brother  Dushana,  he  said,  “ Equip  fourteen 
thousand  Rakshasas  who  are  dreadful  as  a thunder- 
bolt and  valiant  as  tigers.  Bring  also  my  chariot,  my 
bows,  and  my  arrows.  I myself  will  go  to  the  front 
and  drink  the  life-blood  of-  Rama.” 

When  Rama  heard  the  demon  troops  approaching 
with  loud  beating  of  drums  and  terrible  war  cries, 
he  commanded  Lakshmana  to  carry  Sita  for  safety 
to  a cave  in  the  mountains,  while  he  prepared  to 
meet  the  foe  alone.  The  black  horde  came  on  with 
screams  and  yells  and  peals  of  hideous  laughter.  They 
poured  down  upon  Rama  like  a black,  raging  sea,  but 
he  received  their  missiles  as  the  ocean  receives  her 
rivers,  and  drawing  his  bow  in  a circle  sent  his  death- 
dealing arrows  into  their  ranks  until  the  conquered 
army  lay  in  slaughtered  heaps  ujion  the  plain.  Khara 
then  rushed  toward  Rama  in  his  own  chariot,  but 
Rama  seized  the  bow  of  Vishnu  and  discharged  a 


223 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

flaming  arrow,  which  laid  the  demon  dead  at  his 
feet. 

The  contest  being  over,  Lakashmana  and  Slta  came 
out  of  the  cave.  The  young  wife  joyfully  embraced 
her  brave  husband,  and  as  he  took  her  into  his  arms 
he  appeared  to  his  adoring  brother  as  glorious  as  Indra 
in  his  heaven  of  the  golden  dome. 

HAVANA. 

On  the  beautiful  island  of  Lanka,  where  the  wealth 
of  art  had  vied  with  the  luxuriance  of  nature,  stood 
the  palace  of  Havana,  the  demon  king  of  Ceylon.  He 
was  the  enemy  of  gods  and  men.  There  were  ten 
hideous  heads  upon  his  colossal  form,  and  twenty 
strong  arms  bade  defiance  to  his  foes.  His  immense 
black  body  was  as  smooth  as  polished  ivory,  but  it  bore 
the  marks  of  his  terrible  contests.  The  lightning  bolts 
had  scorched  him  and  a monstrous  elephant  had  torn 
him  with  his  tusks,  while  on  his  broad  chest  was  a 
great  scar  that  had  been  left  from  a wound  made  with 
the  shield  of  Vishnu.  His  ten  necks  were  ornamented 
with  ten  huge  golden  necklaces  set  with  flashing  gems, 
and  on  his  twenty  wrists  gleamed  costly  bracelets  of 
gold  and  jewels.  Each  frightful  head  wore  a golden 
serpent  as  a crown.  He  was  taller  than  the  Himalayas, 
and  reaching  upward  lie  could  stop  the  stars  in  their 
courses.  He  could  shake  the  sea  with  his  fearful 
strides,  and  with  his  mighty  arms  rend  asunder  the 
tops  of  mountains.  This  was  he  who  went  to  Bhoga- 
vatT,  the  city  of  resplendent  serpents,  and  conquering 
Vasuki,  carried  away  the  beloved  wife  of  the  glittering 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


snake  Takshaka.1  Such  was  the  fear  he  inspired,  that 
every  living  thing  shuddered  and  shrunk  out  of  sight 
upon  his  approach.  Even  the  winds  crept  silently  by, 
and  the  angry  sea  forgot  to  rave  and  only  moaned  in 
terror  when  he  looked  upon  her  billows.  “The  courage 
of  the  Three  Worlds,”  as  he  was  often  called,  sat  upon 
the  golden  throne  in  the  great  council  hall  of  his 
palace,  surrounded  by  his  chieftains  and  counselors. 

On  either  side  of  the  languid  demon  were  great 

masses  of  fragrant  flowers  which  had  been  gathered  and 

brought  to  him  as  offerings,  while  at  his  feet  were 

piles  of  gold  and  jewels  which  he  had  extorted  as 

tributes  from  his  terror-stricken  subjects.  Over  his 

numerous  heads  his  attendants  in  misty  Oriental  garb 

waved  fans  whose  handles  were  of  pearl  and  set  with 

diamonds.  As  they  moved  them  gracefully  to  and  fro 

they  kept  time  to  a dreamy  musical  measure,  which 

floated  through  the  air.  But  while  the  demon  sat 

holding  council  with  his  chiefs,  he  was  disturbed  by  a 

confusion  among  his  courtiers  outside  the  palace,  and 

in  a moment,  to  his  angry  astonishment,  his  sister,  the 
/ 

terrible  Surpa-nakha,  dashed  into  the  room.  Iler  gar- 
ments were  torn,  her  long  hair  was  disheveled,  and 
her  mangled  face  was  covered  with  blood. 

The  dreadful  Havana  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  shouted, 
“ Speak ! who  has  dared  to  molest  the  sister  of  Havana, 
the  victor  of  the  gods?”  “Who  has  dared,  indeed!” 
burst  from  the  lips  of  the  vindictive  female  fiend. 
“Here  I find  you  surrounded  by  luxury  and  fanned  to 

i Vasuki  and  Takshaka  are  leading  Nagas,  to  whom  a separate  dominion 
over  a portion  of  the  serpent  race  is  sometimes  assigned.  In  company 
with  .Stesha,  they  rule  over  snakes  in  general  and  their  dominion  is  in  the 
lower  regions, 


225 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  KAMAYANA. 

sleep  by  the  perfumed  breath  of  flowers,  while  I come 
bleeding  from  the  battle-field,  where  the  vultures  are 
feeding  upon  our  warriors  who  perished  in  trying  to 
aveuge  my  wrongs.  And  who  is  the  cause  of  all  this  ? 
— a mortal,”  she  screamed,  “ a man  by  the  name  of 
Rama ; a mere  youth  who  has  been  exiled  from  his 
father’s  court  ! But  he  carries  a bow  like  a rainbow, 
and  from  it  he  sends  forth  blazing  arrows,  which  are  fatal 
as  the  poison  of  serpents.  I saw  the  army  falling  before 
him  like  a crop  of  grain  that  is  smitten  by  the  rains  of 
Indra.  Oli  Havana  ! this  Rama  has  a beautiful  wife 
of  charming  face  and  lovely  form,  and  her  com- 
plexion is  bright  as  molten  gold.  Oh,  my  brother  ! 
It  was  because  I wanted  to  bring  this  beautiful  woman 
away  to  be  your  wife,  that  I was  disfigured  by  the 
cruel  Lakshmana.  0 raja  of  the  Rakshasas,  avenge 
the  death  of  your  brothers  upon  Rama  and  Lakshmana, 
and  take  the  beautiful  Sita  to  be  your  wife  !” 

Bending  down  the  haughty  demon  laid  his  hand 
caressingly  upon  the  rough  head  of  Surpa-nahka,  and 
answered  in  tones  of  thunder,  “I  will  indeed  avenge 
my  fallen  brothers,  and  I will  bring  this  dainty 
beauty  to  my  own  court.” 

Then  ordering  his  golden  chariot,  which  moved 
through  the  air  at  the  will  of  the  charioteer,  he  called 
one  of  his  courtiers  to  accompany  him,  and  while  they 
moved  on  their  way  he  gave  his  orders.  He  was  met 
with  expostulations  and  warnings,  but  he  only  replied  : 
“The  sovereign  of  the  world  is  not  to  be  contradicted. 
I did  not  ask  your  advice ; I only  commanded  your 
assistance.  You  must  assume  the  form  of  a golden 
deer,  and  going  into  the  presence  of  Sita  you  must 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


attract  her  attention.  Having  done  this,  you  are  at 
liberty  to  go  where  you  please,  for  I shall  have  no  fur- 
ther need  of  you. 

“ Doubt  not  the  lady,  when  she  sees 
This  wondrous  deer  among  the  trees. 

Will  bid  her  lord  and  Lakshman  take 
The  creature  for  its  beauty’s  sake. 

Thy  life,  if  thou  the  task  essay. 

In  jeopardy  may  stand. 

Oppose  me,  and  this  very  day 
Thou  diest  by  this  hand.” 

THE  ABDUCTION. 

It  was  evening  in  the  wilderness  of  Dandaka.  The 
day  with  her  sandals  dipped  in  dew  was  passing 
through  the  golden  gates  of  the  west,  and  the  cres- 
cent moon  and  the  evening  star  had  come  forth  to  hid 
her  good-night.  Kama  and  his  young  wife  stood  at 
the  door  of  their  leafy  tent  looking  in  silence  upon 
the  glories  of  the  western  sky,  when  a beautiful  fawn 
came  out  of  the  thicket  aud  entered  the  plantain  grove, 
which  had  been  cleared  of  its  undergrowth.  In  the 
evening  light  he  shone  like  burnished  gold  flecked 
with  spots  of  silver,  and  his  tiny  horns  seemed  to  be 
tipped  with  sapphire,  while  his  delicate  mouth  and  fine 
nostrils  were  like  the  red  lotus  blossoms,  and  his  dark 
eyes  looked  fearlessly  into  the  face  of  the  princess. 

Slta  was  delighted  with  his  beauty,  and  appealed  to 
Kama  to  capture  him  for  her.  “ We  could  keep  it,” 
said  she,  “in  our  leafy  dwelling,  and  when  our  term  of 
exile  is  finished  we  could  take  it  with  us  to  Ayodhya. 


227 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

But  if  you  cannot  capture  it  alive,  bring  at  least  its 
beautiful  coat  as  a covering  for  our  couch.”  The  will- 
ing husband  acceded  to  her  request,  hut  Lakshmana 
offered  a word  of  warning : “ Do  you  not  know,  my 

brother,  there  was  never  a fawn  of  such  brilliant  hues  ? 
Surely  it  is  an  illusion  furnished  by  demons.  Be  not 
so  rash,  oh  prince,  as  to  pursue  it.”  But  Rama  an- 
swered, “ Be  not  alarmed — even  if  it  proves  to  be  a de- 
mon I will  slay  it,  and  bring  the  skin  to  the  daughter 
of  Janaka.  During  all  the  time  she  has  been  in  this 
forest  she  has  made  only  this  one  request.  Do  you  think 
I will  fail  to  comply  with  it  ? Stay  with  her,  my  bro- 
ther, and  guard  her  from  all  harm  until  I return.” 
Then  throwing  his  golden  bow  over  his  shoulder,  he 
started  in  pursuit  of  the  beautiful  fawn.  But  grace- 
fully eluding  his  grasp  the  pretty  creature  bounded 
into  the  thicket,  cautiously  pursued  by  Rama.  It  often 
seemed  to  be  upon  the  point  of  capture,  but  as  often 
it  evaded  the  hunter’s  touch  and  fled  farther  toward 
the  inaccessible  hills  in  the  distance. 

It  was  now  growing  dark  beneath  the  trees,  although 
it  was  still  light  above  them,  and  at  last  the  fawn 
paused  as  if  wearied,  while  its  little  mouth  quivered 
and  foamed,  seemingly  with  exhaustion.  “Xow,”  thought 
Rama,  “ my  game  is  secure,”  and  again  he  attempted  to 
lay  his  hand  upon  its  graceful  neck  ; but  there  was  an- 
other bound,  and  this  time  it  was  far  beyond  the  hunt- 
er’s reach.  Dismayed  and  out  of  patience  and  already 
far  from  home  Rama  drew  his  bow  and  sent  his  un- 
failing arrow  through  the  side  of  his  victim.  The 
fawn  fell  to  the  earth  with  a human  shriek,  and  in 
the  very  tones  of  Rama  it  called  upon  Lakshmana  for 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


aid.  The  distant  cry  was  heard  by  the  listening  pair 
at  the  door  of  the  hermitage,  and  Sita  besought  Laksh- 
mana  to  fly  to  her  husband’s  aid.  In  vain  he  argued 
that  it  was  a deceitful  cry — that  Rama’s  power  was  such 
that  he  needed  no  aid  ; she  would  not  listen  to  a re- 
fusal, and  at  last  taunted  him  with  cowardice  and 
with  motives  which  were  even  more  unworthy.  Stung 
by  her  severity  he  darted  into  the  forest,  leaving  the 
beautiful  princess  alone  amidst  the  rapidly  falling  shades 
of  night. 

A feeling  of  loneliness  and  terror  came  over  her  at 
once,  but  she  would  not  call  him  back,  and  she  was 
soon  comforted  by  seeing  a humble  priest  approach- 
ing her  little  dwelling.  In  one  hand  he  bore  a staff 
and  in  the  other  a scrip.  On  his  forehead  was  a 
straight  mark  and  on  his  fingers  were  large  rings  of 
sacred  grass.  His  body  was  emaciated  and  his  feet 
only  partially  covered  by  his  torn  sandals.  He  meekly 
approached  her,  asking  for  food,  and  supposing  him  to 
be  a true  hermit  she  paid  him  lowly  reverence  and 
gladly  invited  him  to  enter  her  little  home  and  rest 
until  her  husband  returned.  “ Beautiful  lady,”  he  said, 
“your  smile  is  entrancing,  and  your  radiant  eyes  illum- 
ine with  brightness  even  the  approaching  darkness. 
How  came  so  beautiful  a gem  to  be  in  this  rough  set- 
ting ? Why  should  so  fair  a lady  be  found  in  this 
gloomy  forest?”  Sita  innocently  told  him  the  story  of 
their  exile,  when  the  mighty  raja  of  the  Rakshasas 
said  to  her,  “ I am  Havana,  the  terror  of  the  world 
I have  assumed  this  lowly  form  only  to  gain  admission 
to  your  presence,  for  my  power  is  known  throughout 
the  universe.  Your  beauty,  oh,  radiant  one,  eclipses 


229 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

in  my  eyes  the  beauty  of  all  my  own  wives  ! Will 
you  not  be  my  rani — the  chief  of  them  all  ? Lanka, 
my  beautiful  city,  is  on  an  island  of  the  sea.  Built 
of  palaces  and  filled  with  glories,  it  is  as  renowned  as 
the  city  of  Indra.  There,  0 Sita,  you  shall  walk  with 
me  among  the  groves  and  feel  no  wish  to  return  to 
this  forest.  You  shall  be  the  chief  of  all  my  wives, 
and  five  thousand  beautiful  handmaids  shall  attend 
you.” 

But  she  indignantly  replied,  “ Know  that  I am  the 
daughter  of  raja  Janaka,  and  my  husband  is  my  deity. 
As  a lioness  attends  a strong  lion,  so  am  I the  con- 
stant attendant  of  the  majestic  Rama  ! Do  you,  a pit- 
iful jackal,  wish  to  obtain  a lioness,  who  is  to  you  like 
a ray  of  the  sun  to  a firefly  ?” 

Then  the  demon  was  enraged,  and  he  exclaimed, 
“ Infatuated  as  you  are,  oh,  Sita,  you  cannot  know  of 
my  power.  I can  torment  the  sun  and  pierce  the  earth 
through  with  my  arrows.  I can  slay  the  King  of  Death 
himself  in  single-handed  combat.  Behold  me  in  my 
own  form.”  And  assuming  his  own  personality,  he 
seemed  as  vast  as  a mountain  and  as  terrible  as  Yama. 
His  red  eyes  glared  upon  her,  and  his  enormous  body 
seemed  to  be  covered  with  bristles  of  fire,  and  great 
earrings  of  molten  gold  gleamed  in  all  his  ears.  With 
his  ten  horrible  heads  and  twenty  terrible  arms  he  stood 
before  her,  like  a black,  angry  cloud  flashing  with  light- 
nings. With  one  pitiful  cry  of  “ Rama  ! Rama  ! ” 
she  fainted  at  his  feet.  Then  with  a fiendish  laugh 
he  lifted  her  from  the  ground  and  calling  for  his 
chariot  he  entered  it,  bearing  his  beautiful  prey  in  his 


arms. 


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THE  AXCIEXT  BOOKS  OF  IXDIA. 


THE  SEARCH. 

The  grass  and  ferns  were  heavy  with  the  evening 
dew  when  Rama  turned  from  the  Rakshasa  that  had  in 
death  revealed  his  true  character,  and  started  with  a 
heavy  heart  toward  his  home.  Soon  he  saw  his  brother 
hastening  toward  him,  and  upbraided  him  bitterly  for 
leaving  Sit ii  alone.  Lakshmana  explained  that  he  came 
only  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Slta,  who  felt 
that  her  husband  was  in  danger.  Then  they  knew  they 
were  the  victims  of  a plot,  and  hurrying  in  silence  to 
the  hermitage  their  fears  were  realized  ; for  the  beau- 
tiful Sita  was  not  to  be  found.  They  searched  around 
the  little  tent  and  down  by  the  crystal  stream  that 
went  murmuring  by,  singing  in  its  dreams,  all  uncon- 
scious of  their  agony.  Then  their  lamentations  were 
pitiful  to  hear.  Rama  bewailed  the  cruel  losses  of  his 
life,  which  had  culminated  in  the  loss  of  her  who  was 
dearer  far  than  life  itself. 

“Tossing  his  mighty  arms  on  high, 

He  sought  her  with  an  eager  cry. 

From  spot  to  spot  he  wildly  ran, 

Each  corner  of  his  home  to  scan. 

He  looked,  but  Slta  was  not  there, 

His  cot  was  desolate  and  bare, 

Like  streamlet  in  the  winter  frost. 

The  glory  of  her  lilies  lost. 

With  leafy  tears  the  sad  trees  wept 
As  a wild  wind  their  branches  swept. 

Mourned  bird  and  deer  ; and  every  flower 
Drooped  fainting  round  the  lovely  bower. 

The  sylvan  deities  had  fled 


231 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

The  spot  where  all  the  light  was  dead, 
lie  saw  and  maddened  by  his  pain 
Cried  in  lament  again,  again, 

‘Where  is  she  ? dead  or  torn  away  ? 

Lost,  or  some  hungry  giant’s  prey  ? 

Or  did  my  darling  chance  to  rove 
For  fruit  and  blossoms  through  the  grove  P 
Or  has  she  sought  the  pool  or  rill 
Her  pitcher  from  the  wave  to  fill  ? ’ 

Ilis  eager  eyes  on  fire  with  pain. 

He  roamed  about  with  maddened  brain. 

Each  grove  and  glade  he  searched  with  care. 

He  sought,  but  found  no  Slta  there.”1 

Then  beneath  the  dark  foliage  of  the  sandal  trees 
the  brothers  swore  by  the  stars  of  night  to  find  their 
beloved  Slta  and  to  slay  him  who  had  carried  her 
away,  whether  he  proved  to  be  a man,  a god,  or  a 
demon.  In  his  own  terrible  agony  Rama  requested 
his  brother  to  direct  the  search,  and  taking  only  his 
bow  with  his  quiver  of  arrows,  among  which  was  the 
wonderful  arrow  that  Brahma  had  given  him  to  be 
used  only  in  a dire  emergency,  he  followed  Lakshmana. 
Neither  of  them  thought  of  sleep.  Through  the  dark 
and  pathless  forest  they  sought  a charmed  cavern  in 
the  depths  of  the  wood,  whose  inmates,  they  thought, 
might  give  them  the  information  they  sought.  At  the 
foot  of  a mountain  they  found  the  entrance  to  the 
cave ; day  was  now  breaking,  and  there,  resting  upon 
the  thick  foliage  of  a laurel  bush,  lay  a delicate  wreath 
which  Slta  had  worn  in  her  hair.  Rama  caught  up 


i Book  III,  Canto  01. 


232 


THE  AKCIEHT  BOOKS  OF  IHDIA. 


the  half-withered  flowers,  and  while  he  pressed  them 
to  his  lips  his  eye  caught  sight  of  a friendly  vulture. 
The  vulture  told  them  that  Havana,  the  demon  king, 
had  hurried  by  a short  time  before,  bearing  a beauti- 
ful woman  in  his  arms,  and  pointed  out  the  way  he 
had  gone.  They  stayed  for  a few  questions,  and  then 
performed  the  funeral  rites  of  the  vulture,  who  died 
before  their  eyes,  having  received  a death  wound  from 
Havana,  in  consequence  of  his  vain  attempts  to  rescue 
Slta  from  the  grasp  of  the  fiend.  Having  performed 
this  labor  of  love  for  their  lost  friend  and  thereby  as- 
sured to  him  a higher  birth  and  an  entrance  to  heaven, 
they  hastened  onward. 

SUGRIVA,  THE  MOKKEY  KIHG. 

After  a long  and  wearisome  journey,  Rama  and 
Lakshmana  came  to  the  beautiful  lake  of  Pampa,  with 
its  wealth  of  water  lilies  and  lotus  blossoms.  The 
sweet  breath  of  the  flowers  mingled  with  the  rich  odor 
of  the  sandal  trees,  and  multitudes  of  water  birds  with 
radiant  plumage  stood  upon  the  green  bank  of  the  lake 
or  hovered  joyously  over  its  crystal  surface.  Amidst  the 
dense  foliage  on  the  other  shore  the  wild  cotton  tree 
of  India  lifted  here  and  there  its  leafless  branches, 
glowing  with  heavy  crimson  blossoms,  and  over  all  the 
peaceful  scene  rested  the  benediction  of  the  parting 
day.  Here  they  remained  through  the  night,  the 
faithful  Lakshmana  making  a bed  of  lotus  for  his 
brother  and  bringing  water  from  the  lake  to  bathe  his 
weary  feet. 

Rising  early  in  the  morning,  they  performed  their 
customary  ablutions  in  the  clear  waters  of  the  lake. 


233 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  EImIYANA. 

and  pressed  forward  toward  tlie  mountain  Riskya- 
nmkha,  where  lived  the  monkey  raja,  Sugrlva.1 

Sugriva  and  his  monkey  counselors  beheld  their  ap- 
proach from  a fort  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
the  raja  said,  “There  are  two  men  coming  from  the 
Pampa  ; they  are  dressed  like  devotees,  but  they  carry 
arms.  I fear  they  are  enemies.” 

But  Hanuman,  who  was  the  chief  among  his  coun- 
selors, answered,  “ Be  of  good  cheer,  oh  Sugrlva,  for 
these  are  the  sons  of  a raja,  and  they  have  come  for 
our  deliverance.”  Then  Hanuman  descended  the  moun- 
tain to  meet  the  travelers,  and  escorted  them  into  the 
presence  of  his  king. 

Rama  told  his  story  to  Sugriva,  and  the  monkey 
king  replied,  “'Some  days  ago  I was  sitting  here  with 
my  counselors,  when  a fearful  darkness  came  over  the 
whole  mountain,  and  looking  upward  we  saw  the 
terrible  Ravana  passing  over  us.  In  his  arms  he  held 
a beautiful  woman,  who  was  calling  upon  the  trees  and 
the  sun  to  rescue  her,  and  who,  as  they  passed  us, 
threw  down  her  ornaments  and  her  veil,  which  we 
have  kept,  hoping  to  identify  her  by  them.” 

i In  the  southern  i>art  of  India  there  are  multitudes  of  monkeys  of  great 
intelligence  and  shrewdness.  Their  successful  trips  over  almost  impassable 
barriers  and  their  apparent  organization  have  made  a strong  impression 
upon  the  superstitious  natives,  who  seem  to  regard  them  as  creatures  half 
human  and  half  divine.  In  the  “Conclave  of  the  Gods,”  when  Vishau 
promised  to  overthrow  the  demon,  he  commanded  the  other  deities  to 
assume  the  form  of  monkeys  and  come  to  his  assistance.  It  is  very  proba- 
ble, however,  that  the  monkeys  of  Southern  India  have  been  confounded 
with  a race  of  aboriginal  natives  who  worshiped  this  animal  as  a god.  In  a 
recent  letter  to  the  author  on  this  subject  Sir  Monier  Williams  says,  “ The 
monkeys  of  the  great  Epics  are  really  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  India,  who 
belong  to  a lower  type  of  humanity,  and  were  in  ancient  times  very  like 
monkeys  or  apes  in  appearance  (as  they  are  even  now  where  the  aboriginal 
type  is  preserved).  In  the  same  way,  the  powerful  Dravidians,  who  con- 
quered the  aborigines  and  were  a terror  to  the  Aryan  invaders,  are  called 
demons." 


234 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Sugriva  then  sent  for  the  ornaments  and  handed 
them  to  Rama.  He  took  the  little  silver  bells  that 
had  tinkled  round  her  graceful  ankles  and  raised  them 
to  his  lips  amidst  a flood  of  tears  ; the  delicate  veil  he 
kissed  over  and  over  again,  while  all  around  him  were 
deeply  affected  by  the  scene. 

Hanuman  built  a fire,  and  Rama  and  Sugriva  made 
a covenant  of  mutual  friendship  before  it.  Then  the 
monkey  king  told  the  story  of  his  own  grievance  as 
follows  : “ I am  the  younger  son  of  a great  monkey 

raja.  One  day,  going  out  to  hunt  with  my  brother 
Bali,  who  had  just  ascended  the  throne,  we  found  a 
demon,  who  fled  into  a cave.  Bali  directed  me  to 
stand  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  while  he  went  in  and 
killed  the  demon.  I stood  there  until  I saw  a stream 
of  blood  issuing  from  the  cavern.  Still  my  brother 
came  not  out.  So,  supposing  that  the  demon  had 
slain  him,  I stopped  up  the  mouth  of  the  cave  with  a 
rock  and  went  back  to  the  city.  The  monkeys  accepted 
me  as  their  raja.  In  a few  days,  however,  my  brother 
returned,  and  was  very  angry  with  me  for  supplanting 
him  in  the  raj.  He  took  my  wife  to  be  his  own  and 
banished  me  to  this  mountain,  where  I have  no  raj,  as 
you  may  see,  but  only  a few  faithful  followers,  who 
chose  to  share  my  exile.” 

Then  said  Rama,  “ Cast  aside,  my  friend,  all  fear 
of  Bali ; I promise  to  make  you  free.  Put  on  your 
war  dress  and  go  to  the  gates  of  the  palace  and  chal- 
lenge your  brother  to  single  combat,  and  when  he  comes 
out  against  you  I will  slay  him.” 

Then  Sugriva  set  out  for  the  monkey  city,  accom- 
panied by  Rama  and  Lakshmana.  When  they  arrived. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 


235 


the  two  brothers  concealed  themselves  in  the  forest, 
while  Sugriva  went  forward  and  in  tones  of  thunder 
challenged  Bali  to  single  combat.  __  Tara,  the  wife 
of  Bali,  tried  to  prevent  him  from  going  out,  but 
maddened  by  the  repeated  challenge  of  his  brother 
he  finally  flung  himself  upon  him,  and  they  struggled 
until  Rama,  seeing  that  the  battle  was  going  against 
Sugriva,  sent  an  arrow  through  Bali  and  killed  him. 
All  of  the  monkeys  set  up  pitiful  cries  and  howls  of 
rage  when  they  saw  that  their  king  was  slain,  and  the 
moans  of  the  female  monkeys  were  piteous  to  hear. 
But  Sugriva  was  beside  himself  with  joy  when  he 
learned  that  his  brother  had  fallen  before  the  arrow  of 
Rama. 

The  chosen  monkeys  placed  the  dead  body  of  Bali 
upon  a litter  and  taking  it  upon  their  shoulders  car- 
ried it  to  the  burning  pyre,  followed  by  the  other  mon- 
keys, crying  bitterly.  The  hypocritical  Sugriva  occu- 
pied a prominent  place  among  the  mourners.  After 
the  funeral  rites  were  completed,  Sugriva  took  again 
his  own  wife,  Ruma,  and  also  appropriated  Tara,  the 
widow  of  Bali.  It  was  agreed  by  all  the  monkeys 
that  Sugriva  should  be  their  raja,  and  that  Angada, 
the  son  of  Bali,  should  be  installed  as  the  Yuva-raja. 
Sugriva  was  therefore  installed  as  the  raja  of  the 
whole  kingdom  of  monkeys,1  and  as  the  rainy  season 

i J.  Talboys  Wheeler  says,  in  his  “History  of  India,”  “The  narra- 
tive of  Rama's  alliance  with  the  monkeys  exercises  a weird  influence 
upon  the  imagination.  . . . The  mind  is  called  upon  to  deal  with 

nondescript  beings,  half  monkey  and  half  man  ; having  long  tails  and 
walking  upon  all  fours,  and  yet  performing  funeral  rites  for  a deceased 
raja,  and  installing  a successor  upon  the  throne,  with  all  the  form  and 
ceremony  of  human  beings.  It  was  a monkey  raja,  surrounded  by  his 
monkey  counselors,  who  beheld  the  approach  of  Rama  and  his  brother 
from  the  bastion  of  their  fort  on  the  mountain.  The  combats  between 


236 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


had  now  commenced,  Hama  told  Sugriva  to  enjoy  him- 
self in  his  new  capital  until  the  rains  were  over,  and 
then  go  with  him  in  search  of  Sita. 

EXPEDITION  OF  THE  MONKEY  GENERAL,  HANUMAN. 

When  the  rainy  season  closed,  and  the  land  of  India 
was  luxuriant  with  the  glories  of  her  new  foliage  and 
delicate  blossoms,  a large  force  of  monkeys  was  gath- 
ered together  and  sent  out  in  search  of  Sitii.  The 
troops  were  under  the  command  of  Hanuman,  who 
was  the  shrewdest  and  most  powerful  of  all  the  mon- 
key generals.  When  he  departed  he  asked  of  Rama 
some  token  which  he  could  give  to  Sita  if  he  found 
her,  as  a proof  that  he  was  indeed  a messenger  sent 
from  her  husband.  Hama  gave  him  a ring  which  he 
had  received  on  his  wedding  day  from  Janaka,  the 
father  of  Sita. 

The  expedition  moved  to  the  southward  and  searched 
the  country  in  every  direction  without  finding  any 
clew  to  the  location  of  the  fair  captive.  After  a 
month  spent  in  this  way  they  were  returning  to 
Sugrlva,  discouraged  and  disconsolate,  when  one 
evening,  as  they  had  composed  their  weary  limbs  for 
the  night,  they  saw  upon  a distant  crag  the  chief  of 
vultures,  Sampati.  One  of  the  monkeys  ventured  to 
climb  up  the  crag  where  he  was  sitting  and  inquired 

Sugriva  ami  Bali  are  the  combats  of  monkeys.  As  regards  the  narra- 
tive, it  certainly  seems  to  refer  to  some  real  event  among  the  aborigi- 
nal tribes  : viz.,  the  quarrel  between  an  elder  and  a younger  brother 
for  the  possession  of  a raj,  and  the  subsequent  alliance  of  Rama  with 
the  younger  brother.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  Rama  appears  to 
l ave  formed  an  alliance  with  the  wrong  party,  for  the  right  of  Bali 
was  evidently  superior  to  that  of  Sugriva,  and  it  is  especially  worthy 
of  note  that  Rama  compassed  the  death  of  Bali  by  an  act  contrary  to 
all  the  rules  of  fair  fighting.”  (See  Yol.  II,  pp.  323-334.) 


237 


THE  STORY  OF  TIIE  RAJIAYANA. 

reverently  of  him  if  he  remembered  having  seen 
the  demon  king  rushing  through  the  air  during  the 
last  few  months.  “Indeed,”  answered  the  vulture,  “I 
remember  it  well,  for  I was  upon  the  wing  in  search 
of  food,  and  not  a living  creature  was  in  sight.  A 

terrible  horror  seemed  to  fill  the  very  air,  and  not 

even  a mouse  ventured  forth  that  I might  appease 
my  hunger.  As  I searched  everywhere  in  vain  I 
noticed  that  the  sky  was  growing  dark,  as  if  a tem- 
pest were  hovering  above  us,  and  glancing  upward  I 
saw  the  terrible  Havana.  His  fiery  eyes  glared  upon 
me ; but  his  attention  was  diverted  from  me  by  a pit- 
iful cry  from  a beautiful  woman  whom  he  held  in 

his  arms,  and  hurrying  into  a thicket  I escaped  with 
my  life.”  “That  beautiful  woman  is  the  object  of 
our  search,”  said  the  monkey.  “ Can  you  tell  me  which 
way  the  demon  went  ? ” 

“ Yes,  he  went  toward  the  island  of  Ceylon,  and 
it  is  doubtless  in  his  palace  in  the  city  of  Lanka  that 
you  will  find  his  captive,”  responded  Sampati,  as  he 
smoothed  his  feathers  and  began  to  make  himself  com- 
fortable for  the  night.  “ 1 have  often  soared  above  it, 
and  it  is  the  finest  city  in  this  part  of  the  world  ; 
but  the  Rakshasas  who  inhabit  it  are  even  more  dan- 
gerous and  terrible  then  men  are,  and  I would  advise 
you  monkeys  to  stay  away  and  let  them  alone.”  Hut 
the  adventurous  messenger,  overjoyed  at  the  reception 
of  the  tidings,  hastened  to  his  commander  with  the 
information.  As  soon  as  the  morning  dawned  Ilanu- 
mau  awoke  his  followers,  and  after  a hasty  breakfast 
of  fruit  and  leaves  in  the  branches  of  the  trees  the 
little  fellows  started  bravely  for  the  sea  coast.  But 


238 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


they  beheld  the  island  they  sought  fully  sixty  miles 
from  the  shore,  nor  were  there  boats  or  bridges  to  en- 
able them  to  make  the  hazardous  passage. 

Hanuman  called  for  volunteers  to  go  to  the  island 
and  obtain  the  desired  information,  but  not  one  of  the 
dismayed  little  soldiers  raised  a hand.  At  last  Hanu- 
man  said,  “ As  none  of  you  dare  to  undertake  it,  I 
will  go  myself.  But  I shall  jump  all  the  way  across 
these  great  billows,  and  land  upon  the  island.”  Then 
there  was  a great  cheering  and  chattering,  for  besides 
the  admiration  felt  for  their  brave  commander,  every 
ape  was  greatly  relieved  to  know  that  he  would  not 
be  compelled  to  undertake  the  task.  Hanuman  then 
distended  his  form  until  it  was  as  large  as  a moun- 
tain, and  his  body  glittered  like  gold  in  the  sunlight, 

while  his  face  was  as  red  as  rubies.  Ilis  arms  were 

extended  like  the  wings  of  a great  dragon,  and  his 

tail  was  so  long  that  the  end  of  it  could  not  be  seen. 
He  took  his  position  upon  the  mountain  Mandara  (the 
fabled  center  of  the  earth)  and  cried  in  a voice  of 
thunder, 

“ Swift  as  a shaft  from  Rama’s  bow 
To  Ravan’s  city  I will  go.” 

Then  extending  his  long  arms  he  drew  in  his  neck, 
erected  his  ears,  and  raising  himself  upon  the  moun- 
tain sprang  toward  the  south  and  alighted  upon  the 
island  of  Ceylon  with  a bound  that  made  the  island 
tremble.  The  demon  king  sent  for  his  counselors  and 
demanded  of  them  why  the  earth  was  quivering  beneath 
his  capital  city.  They  answered  that  it  was  an  earth- 
quake, but  one  who  was  bolder  than  the  others  vent- 


239 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

ured  to  hint  that  the  earthquake  had  been  sent  by 
the  gods  on  account  of  the  detention  of  Sita,  and  ad- 
vised that  she  he  restored  to  her  friends  before  the 
island  was  entirely  destroyed.  But  the  haughty  king 
replied  that  lie  had  not  sent  for  them  because  he 
needed  any  advice,  and  angrily  dismissed  his  coun- 
selors. 

LANKA. 

Hanuman  had  alighted  upon  the  summit  of  the  Sa- 
bula  mountain,  and  stood  looking  down  upon  the  city 
of  Lanka,  which  was  a hundred  miles  in  length  and 
thirty  in  breadth.  It  was  completely  surrounded  by 
numerous  walls  and  canals,  one  within  another.  Inside 
of  the  great  outer  canal  was  a broad  belt  of  thick  for- 
est, which  was  infested  with  wild  animals.  Inside  of 
that  was  an  impenetrable  wall  of  iron,  with  a gate  on 
each  of  the  four  sides,  guarded  by  hundreds  of  Eak- 
shasas.  Lanka  itself  was  beautified  with  lakes  and 
parks  and  palaces  of  Oriental  magnificence.  In  the 
center  of  the  city  rose  the  lofty  domes  of  the  palace  of 
Havana,  and  every  parapet  was  crowded  with  armed 
demons,  whose  duty  it  was  to  guard  their  king,  whether 
he  was  asleep  or  awake. 

In  order  to  reconnoiter  without  alarming  the  foe, 
Hanuman  assumed  the  form  of  a cat.  In  this  shape 
he  slipped  by  the  guards  and  through  the  gates  with 
perfect  impunity.  The  broad  streets  were  set  with 
gems,  but  such  was  the  discipline  of  Ravana  that  no 
one  dared  to  pick  one  up,  even  if  it  became  loosened 
in  its  setting.  The  magnificent  houses  were  open  to 
receive  the  cool  air  of  the  evening,  and  within  them  he 


240 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


saw  hideous  Rakshasas,  of  every  shape  and  form. 
Some  of  them  were  as  tall  as  the  trees  and  others  were 
dwarfs.  Some  of  them  had  only  two  legs,  while  others 
had  three  or  four.  Some  had  heads  like  serpents, 
others  wore  the  features  of  donkeys.  Some  had  heads 
like  horses,  while  the  faces  of  others  were  decorated 
with  trunks  like  elephants. 

While  the  monkey  general  in  the  shape  of  a cat  was 
carefully  observing  these  things,  the  shades  of  night 
settled  down  upon  the  city  and  the  streets  were 
deserted. 

TIIE  PALACE  OF  RAVANA. 

After  the  demons  had  fallen  asleep,  the  strange 
scout  slipped  quietly  into  the  palace  of  raja  Ravana. 
This  resplendent  mansion  was  surrounded  on  all  sides 
with  a canal,  from  whose  clear  waters  rose  the  green 
leaves  and  bright  blossoms  of  the  lotus,  while  the  even- 
ing air  was  laden  with  their  fragrance.  Within  this 
watery  barrier  the  golden  walls  arose  to  such  a height 
that  the  birds  could  not  fly  above  them,  and  the  pil- 
lars on  each  side  of  the  gates  were  made  of  black 
crystal.  The  gates  were  guarded  by  thousands  of 
Rakshasas,  and  over  the  walls  floated  the  soft  strains 
of  music.  “Surely,”  thought  the  little  spy,  “this  raja 
Ravana  must  have  been  a very  virtuous  man  in  his 
former  life,  and  for  this  reason  he  enjoys  so  much 
wealth  now.”  Then  he  slipped  through  the  gate  and 
into  the  inner  apartments  of  the  palace,  where  he 
found  fountains  and  pools  of  clear  water,  with  masses 
of  gorgeous  tropical  flowers  around  them. 

The  sleeping  room  of  Ravana  presented  a scene  of 


241 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  YANA. 

barbaric  splendor.  The  walls  were  blazing  with  gold 
and  gems,  while  the  floor  was  inlaid  with  black  crys- 
tal. The  royal  couch  was  as  beautiful  as  art  could 
make  it.  The  draperies  were  as  soft  and  white  as 
waves  of  milk.  Golden  jars  filled  with  water  stood  in 
the  corners  of  the  room,  and  lamps  of  precious  stones 
were  hung  from  the  ceiling.  Hundreds  of  beautiful 
women  were  sleeping  in  various  parts  of  the  great 
room,  and  the  demon  king  lay  upon  his  royal  bed,  a 
crown  of  gold  upon  each  black  and  terrible  head,  and  his 
twenty  hands  laden  with  heavy  jeweled  rings.  While 
he  slept,  Hanuman  looked  carefully  around  the  room, 
but  among  all  the  beautiful  women  there  he  found  no 
one  that  answered  to  the  description  of  Slta.  Leaving 
the  palace,  he  entered  a luxuriant 

ASOKA  GROVE. 

He  hastily  climbed  into  the  branches  of  one  of  the 
trees1  and  looking  around  him  saw  not  far  away  a 
beautiful  woman,  whose  eyes  were  red  with  constant 
weeping.  She  was  sitting  sadly  upon  the  ground  sur- 
rounded by  hideous  Rakshasa  women.  The  fair  girl 
reminded  him  of  a beautiful  doe  surrounded  by  tigresses, 
which  were  ready  at  any  moment  to  feed  upon  her 
delicate  flesh.  Her  attendants  were  pleading  with  her 
to  become  the  wife  of  Ravana,  but  she  only  replied 
by  chanting  in  a sweet  minor  key  the  name  of 
“ Rama  ! ” “ Rama  ! ” 

While  Hanuman  still  looked,  the  demon  king  him- 
self appeared,  attended  by  all  the  women  of  his  court. 

i The  Jonesia  A«oka  is  one  of  the  loveliest  trees  of  that  tropical  clime,  its 
foliage  being  crowned,  with  a profusion  of  gorgeous  red  blossoms. 


242 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  little  spy  then  crept  along  the  branches  nearer  to 
Sltii.  When  Havana  with  his  attendants  came  into  the 
grove,  she  started  and  shivered  with  terror.  The  raja 
appealed  to  her  to  wipe  away  her  tears  and  enjoy  the 
luxuries  of  his  court.  “ Do  not  fear  me,”  he  said,  “for 
I am  your  slave  and  you  need  have  no  fear  of  being 
discovered  by  others,  for  no  man  can  enter  my  palace. 
Let  me  send  for  women  who  will  wash  you  with  water 
and  costly  perfumes ; who  will  dress  your  beautiful 
hair  and  adorn  your  lovely  form  with  magnificent  robes 
and  the  richest  jewels  of  the  east.  You  shall  be  the 
mistress  of  all  my  other  wives  and  the  queen  of  my 
heart.” 

But  Sita  answered,  “ Oh,  lord  of  Lanka,  you  are 
renowned  throughout  the  world  for  your  wealth,  strength, 
and  valor.  Do  not,  I implore  you,  soil  your  reputa- 
tion by  wickedness.  Restore  me,  I pray  you,  to  my 
husband,  Rama,  and  entreat  his  forgiveness.  My  hus- 
band is  my  wealth,  lie  is  more  to  me  than  all  the 
riches  at  your  command.” 

He  continued  to  plead  with  her  until  she  turned 
upon  him  and  threatened  him  with  the  anger  of  her 
husband.  “Oh,  wicked  Ravana,”  she  cried,  “you  have 
not  long  to  live.  Your  golden  Lanka  will  soon  be  a 
heap  of  ashes  and  your  numberless  army  shall  fall  like 
ripened  grain  before  the  arrows  of  Rama.  There  is  as 
much  difference  between  you  and  him  as  there  is  be- 
tween a mouse  and  a lion,  or  a mosquito  and  a hawk. 
You  are  only  a glow-worm,  but  he  is  the  noonday  sun. 
You  are  a grain  of  sand,  but  he  is  a precious 
stone.” 

Stung  by  her  taunts,  the  demon’s  eyes  flashed  fire. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA.  243 

“ Thy  language/’  said  he,  “ is  more  like  that  of  a 

master  than  of  a creature  who  is  helpless  in  my  hands. 

I will  give  thee,  however,  two  months  in  which  to 

decide  the  matter,  and  if  at  the  end  of  that  time 

thou  consent  not  to  become  my  wife, 

“ My  cooks  shall  mince  thy  limbs  with  steel. 

And  serve  thee  for  my  morning  meal.” 

He  turned  haughtily  away  and  with  his  attendants 
returned  to  his  palace. 

INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  HANUMAN  AND  SITA. 

At  last  she  was  left  alone  with  her  agony  and  ter- 
ror ; but  while  she  moaned  aloud  in  her  suffering,  she 
heard  a voice  in  the  trees  above  her  sweetly  chanting 
the  name  of  “ Rama.”  Looking  upward  she  saw  only 
a diminutive  monkey  and  concluded  that  the  voice 
was  an  illusion.  But  the  monkey  said,  “I  am  the 
slave  of  Rama,  and  I have  been  sent  by  him  to  dis- 
cover his  bride ; ” then  coming  quickly  down  from  the 
tree  and  bowing  himself  before  her  he  proved  his 
claim  by  presenting  her  with  Rama’s  signet  ring.  At 
the  sight  of  the  ring  she  wept  for  joy  and  catching 
hold  of  the  precious  jewel  pressed  it  to  her  lips,  then 
placed  it  upon  her  head  in  token  of  his  sovereignty 
and  afterwards  clasped  it  to  her  heart.  Hanuman 
proposed  to  carry  her  away  upon  his  back,  but  she 
answered  that  so  small  a monkey  could  not  carry  her 
across  the  ocean.  Thereupon  he  increased  his  size  to 
more  than  giant  proportions,  and  while  she  looked  at 
him  in  wonder  she  said,  “I  do  believe  you  could  carry 
me;  but  I will  never  willingly  touch  the  form  of 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


any  man  except  my  husband.  Besides,  if  you  took  me 
away  by  stealth,  the  world  would  say  that  Rama  is  a 
coward  and  is  unable  to  punish  Havana.”  So  she 
dismissed  him  with  loving  messages  for  her  husband 
and  with  an  admonition  for  him  to  hasten  to  her  re- 
lief, as  only  two  months  remained  for  her  to  live 
unless  he  came.  She  sent  to  Rama  the  only  ring  she 
still  possessed  and  placed  his  upon  her  own  finger, 
begging  Hanuman  to  hasten  his  departure  with  her 
messages. 

IIANUMAN  DESTROYS  THE  MANGO  GROVE. 

But  Rama’s  messenger  was  not  content  to  leave  the 
beautiful  island  without  avenging  in  some  way  Sltil’s 
wrong  upon  the  demon  king ; so  in  the  form  of  an 
immense  baboon  he  rushed  into  a beautiful  grove  of 
mango  trees,  and  tore  off  the  rich  fruit  and  foliage, 
breaking  the  branches  until  he  destroyed  every  tree  in 
the  grove.  The  guards  of  Rakshasas  were  awakened 
by  the  noise,  and  instead  of  stopping  to  do  battle 
with  the  invader,  they  rushed  off  and  informed  the 
king  that  a huge  monkey  had  entered  Lanka  and  was 
destroying  all  his  trees. 

When  Havana  heard  of  this,  he  ordered  an  army  of 
eighty  thousand  Rakshasas  to  capture  the  invader  and 
bring  him  in  chains  before  the  king.  But  the  valiant 
monkey  after  a short  conflict  sent  the  whole  body  of 
troops  to  the  regions  of  Yama.  When  the  king  heard 
that  his  soldiers  were  all  slain,  he  sent  the  giants  of 
his  army,  but  they  too  met  the  same  fate.  At  last  a 
shrewd  Rakshasa  captured  the  marauder  with  a pow- 
erful noose,  and  he  was  led  into  the  council  hall  of 
Ravana. 


245 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAHA. 

Hanuman  then  defied  the  king  to  his  face  and  de- 
claring himself  to  be  the  ambassador  of  Rama  de- 
manded the  restoration  of  Sita.  But  the  king  arose 
from  his  throne  in  a terrible  rage  and  ordered  that 
the  monkey  should  be  beheaded.  His  chief  counselor, 
however,  declared  that  they  had  no  right  to  kill  an 
ambassador,  although,  according  to  the  Sastras,  they 
could  mutilate  him  in  one  of  three  ways.  He  might 
be  disfigured,  or  beaten  with  stripes,  or  his  head 
might  he  shaved. 

Then  said  Havana,  “I  will  not  kill  this  monkey, 
but  he  shall  not  go  unpunished  ; and  as  his  tail  is  his 
principal  ornament,  I shall  have  it  set  on  fire  and 
burned.” 

THE  BTTRXIXG  OF  LAXKA. 

The  king’s  orders  were  quickly  obeyed,  and  the 
monkey’s  tail  was  wrapped  with  inflammable  fabrics, 
which  were  soaked  with  oil  and  set  on  fire.  But  Han- 
uman immediately  reduced  his  body  to  a diminutive 
size  and,  slipping  quickly  out  of  the  noose,  sprang 
upon  a wall,  and  before  they  could  recapture  him  was 
lashing  the  roof  with  his  flaming  tail. 

“ He  scaled  the  palaces,  and  spread 
The  conflagration  where  he  sped. 

From  house  to  house  he  hurried  on. 

And  the  wild  flames  behind  him  shone. 

Each  mansion  of  the  foe  he  scaled, 

And  furious  fire  its  roof  assailed, 

Till  all  the  common  ruin  shared. 

YibhlshanV  house  alone  was  spared. 


i The  counselor  who  had  saved  his  life. 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


246 


From  blazing  pile  to  pile  lie  sprang, 

And  loud  his  shout  of  triumph  rang. 

Loud  was  the  roar  the  demons  raised 
’Mid  walls  that  split  and  beams  that  blazed, 

As  each  with  vain  endeavor  strove 
To  stay  the  flames  in  house  or  grove. 

He  saw  the  flames  ascend  and  curl 
Round  turkis,  diamond,  and  pearl, 

While  silver  floods  and  molten  gold 
From  ruined  wall  and  lattice  rolled 
As  fire  grows  fiercer  as  it  feeds 
On  wood  and  grass  and  crackling  weeds. 

So  Hanuman  the  ruin  eyed, 

With  fury  still  unsatisfied.” 

HANUMAN  REJOINS  THE  MONKEY  ARMY. 

Leaving  the  blazing  city  to  be  cared  for  by  its  ter- 
ror-stricken inhabitants,  Hanuman  rushed  to  the  sea- 
shore and  with  a mighty  leap  landed  in  the  midst  of 
his  own  troops  and  triumphantly  related  the  story  of 
his  exploits  in  Lanka.  The  army  was  placed  in 

marching  order  and  joyfully  set  out  to  carry  the  glad 
tidings  to  raja  Sugriva,  chanting  as  they  advanced  the 
name  of  Rama.  When  they  arrived  at  the  court 

Hanuman  advanced  into  the  royal  presence,  bowing 
himself  before  the  monkey  raja  and  also  before  Rama, 
to  whom  he  told  the  story  of  his  adventures.  He 

placed  in  Rama’s  hand  the  ring  which  Sita  had  given 

him,  and  delivered  her  messages,  saying  that  unless 
she  could  be  rescued  within  two  months,  Ravana  would 
surely  accomplish  his  murderous  threat.  Rama  received 


24  H 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAtfA. 

the  jewel  with  great  emotion  and  made  a solemn  vow 
that  within  two  months  the  demon  king  should  pay 
the  penalty  of  his  fearful  crime. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA,  CONCLUDED. 

THE  MONKEY  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  LANKA  — THE 
SOUTHERN  SEA  — THE  OCEAN  BRIDGE  — INVASION 
OF  LANKA  — HAVANA  AND  RAMA  IN  SINGLE  COM- 
BAT— THE  DEATH  OF  HAVANA — RESTORATION  OF 
SlTA  — SlTl’S  TRIAL  AND  VINDICATION  — TRIUM- 
PHANT RETURN  TO  AYODHYA — THE  BANISHMENT 
OF  SlTA  — THE  SONS  OF  SITA — THE  DEPARTURE. 

ONE  bright  morning  the  tropical  sun  looked  down 
upon  an  innumerable  host  of  monkeys  ready  to 
march  upon  Lanka  at  the  word  of  command.  The  raja 
had  given  the  control  of  his  troops  into  the  hands  of 
Kama,  who  was  the  commander  general  of  the  expe- 
dition, while  Lakshmana  and  Sugrlva  were  his  chiefs 
of  staff.  The  vast  army  extended  in  length  a thou- 
sand miles.  When  they  were  all  arrayed  in  military 
order,  the  heroic  monkeys  sounded  their  conch  shells, 
and  the  earth  trembled  beneath  their  exultant  screams 
and  the  lashing  of  their  tails.1  The  innumerable  host 
poured  over  the  mountains  and  through  the  great  for- 
ests, and  living  upon  the  fruits  and  leaves  of  the 

i See  the  Adhyatma  version  which  is  divided  into  seven  books  bear- 
ing the  same  titles  as  Valmiki's  version.  Its  object  is  to  show  that 
Rama  is  a representation  of  the  Supreme  Spirit,  and  that  Sita  is  a type 
of  Nature. 


248 


249 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAHATAXA. 

trees  they  desolated  the  land  like  an  army  of  locusts, 
leaving  not  even  a flower  in  their  track.  They  swept 
like  a torrent  over  the  fertile  fields  and  flowery  vales, 
until  they  reached  the  fair  shores  of 

THE  SOUTHERX  SEA. 

Here  they  called  a halt,  for  before  them  the  wild 
billows  foamed  with  rage  and  the  dark  tide  came 
sweeping  in  closer  and  closer  to  their  feet  with  every 
throbbing  pulse  from  the  great  heart  of  the  ocean. 
Lanka  lay  in  safety  far  beyond  their  sight,  entrenched 
behind  the  pathless  billows.  While  the  chiefs  were 
gathered  in  counsel  upon  the  shore,  another  night  came 
down  upon  them  and  the  starlight  touched  with  sil- 
ver the  heads  of  the  dashing  waves. 

Wearied  by  the  rapid  march  and  perplexed  by  the 
hopeless  situation,  Rama  left  the  council  of  his  chiefs 
and  with  his  head  bared  to  the  cool  night  air  walked 
slowly  to  the  water’s  edge.  As  the  dark  breakers 
came  rolling  in  he  bent  above  them,  invoking  the  aid 
of  the  fair  goddess  of  the  sea,  when  suddenly  in  the 
coral  chambers  beneath  the  surf  there  flashed  a phos- 
phorescent light,  which  slowly  formed  itself  into  a 
beautiful  woman.  Her  white  shoulders  gleamed  like 
pearl  beneath  the  tide  and  her  crimson  lips  were  wet 
with  the  kisses  of  Neptune.  Her  heavy  hair  was  bound 
with  delicate  sprays  of  the  seaweed  and  her  shell- 
tinted  robe  was  fastened  with  branches  of  coral.  In 
gentle  tones  she  asked,  ‘“'What  wilt  thou,  Rama,  that 
I shall  do  for  thee  ? ” “ Fair  goddess  of  the  sea,”  he 

cried,  “ a demon  has  stolen  my  wife  away  and  crushed 
my  heart  beneath  his  feet.  My  beautiful  bride  is  a 


250 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


prisoner  on  yonder  isle  — help  me  to  bridge  this  path- 
less deep  and  avenge  her  wrongs  with  my  gallant 
troops.” 

Again  her  silvery  voice  was  heard  amid  the  roaring 
of  the  surf  : “ Say  to  Nala  that  he  shall  build  a 

bridge,  and  every  stone  he  touches  shall  float  upon  my 
waves.”  Then  turning  away  she  waved  her  graceful 
hand,  and  the  dark  drapery  of  the  waves  hid  her  from 
his  sight. 

THE  OCEAN  BRIDGE. 

As  soon  as  the  crimson  light  of  morning  kissed 
the  mountain  peaks  and  crowned  the  ocean  waves  with 
light,  Rama  sounded  upon  his  conch  shell  the  call  of 
“Attention.”  Promptly  his  troops  were  gathered  at 
his  feet,  and  he  sent  for  Nala,  the  shrewdest  general 
in  his  army.  After  giving  him  a few  directions  he 
turned  to  the  rank  and  file  and  ordered  them  to  bring 
to  Nala  all  the  material  they  could  find,  with  which 
to  build  a bridge  to  the  fair  island  of  Ceylon,  that 
they  might  march  in  triumph  to  its  capital  city.  All 
the  weariness  of  the  long  march  was  forgotten,  and 
the  order  was  received  with  screams  and  shouts  of  ex- 
ultation. In  a few  minutes  thousands  of  monkeys 
were  running  in  every  direction,  and  bringing  to  Nala 
rocks  and  the  trunks  of  trees,  with  which  to  build 
the  great  bridge.  Even  mountains  were  torn  up  and 
hurled  upon  the  waters,  where  beneath  the  magic  touch 
of  Xala  every  tree  and  stone  and  the  great  masses  of 
earth  floated  together  into  one  unyielding  mass. 

In  the  meantime  the  mother  of  Ravana  began  to 
see  evil  omens  on  every  side,  and  calling  to  her  other 


251 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  KAMIYAM. 

son,  Yibhishana,  she  begged  of  him  to  advise  Havana 
to  restore  Slta  to  her  husband.  But  Havana  was  so 
vain  and  self-conceited  that  he  would  receive  no  advice 
from  his  friends,  and  only  abused  his  brother  for  in- 
terfering with  his  affairs.  The  bridge  was  at  last  com- 
pleted, and  one  night  the  strange  army  marched  over 
it  and  encamped  on  the  island  of  Lanka,  near  the 
Sabula  Mountain.  Yibhishana,  the  brother  of  Havana, 
deserted  his  people  and  went  over  to  the  camp  of 
Rama ; whereupon  the  commanding  general  ordered 
water  to  be  brought  from  the  sea,  and  pouring  it  upon 
the  head  of  Yibhishana  declared  him  to  be  the  raja 
of  Lanka  instead  of  his  brother  Ravana. 

INVASION'  OF  LANKA. 

Ravana  sat  in  state  in  his  council  hall  upon  a 
throne  set  with  precious  stones.  Ten  crowns  of  pearls 
and  jewels  were  upon  his  ten  heads  and  thousands  of 
giants  surrounded  his  court.  A rich  canopy  of  strung 
pearls  was  suspended  over  his  throne  and  he  held  a 
wine  cup  in  his  hand,  while  beautiful  girls  amused  him 
with  dance  and  song. 

But  his  counselors  entered  his  chamber  and  in- 
formed him  that  Hama  had  landed  his  troops  and  was 
preparing  to  attack  the  city.  He  immediately  sent  for 
the  commander-in-chief  of  his  armies  and  told  him  to 
gather  the  hosts  of  the  Rakshasas  and  make  ready  for 
battle.  At  the  sound  of  the  bugle  they  were  drawn 
up  in  military  array  before  the  demon  king,  who  or- 
dered them  to  meet  the  invaders  at  the  gates  of  the 
city  and  bring  him  the  heads  of  their  chiefs.  The 
army  of  demons  marched  out  of  the  fortress  to  the 


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TIIE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


strains  of  discordant  music.  Their  cavalry  was  mounted 
on  buffaloes,  camels,  lions,  hyenas,  wolves,  and  even 
hogs.  Their  arms  consisted  of  swords,  clubs,  bows  and 
arrows,  spears,  and  many  nondescript  weapons. 

In  the  meantime  Kama,  having  marshaled  the  ranks 
of  the  monkeys,  placed  himself  at  their  head,  and  led 
them  to  the  attack.  Some  of  them  had  torn  up  the 
trunks  of  trees  for  weapons  and  some  carried  immense 
rocks  in  their  arms,  while  others  depended  upon  their 
teeth  and  nails,  which  they  had  sharpened  like  swords. 
They  were  drawn  up  in  long  lines  of  battle,  with  ten 
million  monkeys  in  each  line.  Sounding  their  shells 
they  marched  to  the  fray  shouting,  “ Victory  to 
Rama!”  The  fight  was  long  and  the  issue  doubtful, 
when  Sugriva,  seizing  a large  tree,  tore  it  up  by  the 
roots  and  hurled  it  upon  Indrajit,  the  famous  son  of 
Havana,  who  had  once  conquered  Indra.  The  tree 
crushed  his  chariot  and  killed  his  horses  and  charioteer. 
The  demon  retreated  and  offered  a sacrifice  to  Agni, 
when  suddenly  out  of  the  fire  came  a golden  chariot 
drawn  by  four  horses,  and  Indrajit,  seating  himself 
within  it,  became  invisible  and  discharged  his  arrows  at 
Kama  and  Lakshmana,  who  could  not  see  whence  they 
came.  At  last  he  threw  a noose  made  of  serpents  over 
the  two  brothers  and  caught  them  in  its  meshes.  But 
Garuda,  the  bird  upon  which  Vishnu  rides,  came  to  the 
rescue,  and  when  the  serpents  saw  him  they  fled, 
leaving  the  brothers  unharmed. 

Finding  that  the  tide  of  battle  was  going  against 
his  troops  Havana  marched  to  the  field  in  person  at 
the  head  of  powerful  re-enforcements.  His  ten  faces 
were  black  with  rage  and  his  heads  appeared  like 


253 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  IUJIAYANA, 

rough  mountains.  His  twenty  eyes  gleamed  like  fiery 
furnaces  and  his  eyebrows  and  whiskers  were  com- 
posed of  the  shining  bodies  of  black  serpents.  As  the 
terrible  conllict  continued,  Kama  and  Havana  came 
face  to  face  in  the  fight  and  were  soon  engaged  in 

SINGLE  COMBAT. 

The  god  Indra  looked  down  from  heaven,  and  seeing 
that  Kama  was  without  a chariot,  sent  him  his  own, 
with  armor  and  weapons,  and  also  his  charioteer.  As 
the  terrible  duel  progressed,  growing  more  and  more 
desperate  every  hour,  the  gods  became  so  absorbed  in 
the  fight  that  they  could  not  refrain  from  joining  in 
the  fray,  even  as  the  gods  of  Greece  took  part  in  the 
siege  of  Troy. 

“ When  the  powers  descending  swelled  the  fight 
Then  tumult  rose  ; fierce  rage  and  pale  affright 
Varied  each  face;  then  Discord  sounds  alarms. 
Earth  echoes,  and  the  nations  rush  to  arms. 

Now  through  the  trembling  shores  Minerva  calls. 
And  now  she  thunders  from  the  Grecian  walls. 
Mars,  hovering  o’er  his  Troy,  his  terror  shrouds 
In  gloomy  tempest  and  a night  of  clouds.”1 

Vishnu  and  Indra  with  all  their  allies  took  sides 
with  Rama,  while  the  evil  spirits  joined  their  forces 
with  Havana.  The  demon  king  rode  in  a magic  car 
which  was  drawn  by  horses  having  human  faces.  The 
armies  on  both  sides  soon  stopped  fighting,  for  the 
whole  interest  of  the  troops  was  concentrated  upon  the 
terrible  conflict  between  Rama  and  Havana,  in  which  the 


l II.,  Book  XX. 


254 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


gods  themselves  took  part.  The  demon  king  was  at 
last  driven  from  the  field  by  his  charioteer,  but  lie  furi- 
ously commanded  him  to  return  to  the  fight.  The 
battle  raged  with  undiminished  fury  for  seven  days 
and  nights.  Again  and  again  Havana  was  borne  down 
by  the  missiles  of  Kama,  and  his  charioteer  drove  his 
master  in  a fainting  condition  to  the  walls  of  his  castle. 
As  soon  as  lie  recovered,  however,  be  angrily  bade  him 
return  to  the  contest. 

“ With  wondrous  power  and  mighty  skill 
The  giant  fought  with  Kama  still. 

Each  at  his  foe  his  chariot  drove. 

And  still  for  death  or  victory  strove. 

The  warriors’  steeds  together  dashed. 

And  pole  with  pole  re-echoing  clashed. 

Dense  clouds  of  arrows  Kama  shot 
With  that  strong  arm  that  rested  not ; 

And  spear  and  mace  and  club  and  brand 
Fell  in  dire  rain  from  Ravan’s  hand. 

The  storm  of  missiles  fiercely  cast 
Stirred  up  the  oceans  with  its  blast. 

And  serpent-gods  and  fiends  who  dwell 
Below  were  troubled  by  the  swell. 

The  earth  with  hill  and  plain  and  brook 
And  grove  and  garden  reeled  and  shook  ; 

The  very  sun  grew  cold  and  pale, 

And  horror  stilled  the  rising  gale.” 

As  the  fight  grew  more  and  more  desperate,  the 
combatants  drew  closer,  and  at  last  an  arrow  hissing 
from  Rama’s  bow  cut  off  one  of  Ravana’s  heads;  but 
like  the  hydra  whose  heads  were  severed  by  Hercules, 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  YANA. 


255 


another  immediately  grew  in  its  place.  Again  and 
again  lie  cut  a head  from  the  demon,  only  to  see  it  re- 
newed by  the  time  he  could  draw  his  bow  again. 

“ Then  to  his  deadly  string,  the  pride 
Of  Raghu’s  race1  a shaft  applied. 

Sharp  as  a serpent's  venomed  fang. 

Straight  to  its  mark  the  arrow  sprang 
And  from  the  giant’s  body  shred 
With  trenchant  steel  the  monstrous  head. 

There  might  the  triple  world  behold 
That  severed  head  adorned  with  gold  ; 

But  when  all  eyes  were  bent  to  view. 

Swift  in  its  stead  another  grew. 

Again  the  shaft  was  pointed  well, 

Again  the  head  divided  fell ; 

But  still  as  each  to  earth  was  cast. 

Another  head  succeeded  fast. 

A hundred  bright  with  fiery  flame 
Fell  low  before  the  victor’s  aim. 

Yet  B fivan  by  no  sign  betrayed 

That  death  was  near  or  strength  decayed ; 

The  doubtful  fight  he  still  maintained 
And  on  his  foe  his  missiles  rained. 

In  air,  on  earth,  on  plain,  on  hill, 

With  awful  might  he  battled  still. 

And  through  the  hours  of  night  and  day 
The  conflict  knew  no  pause  or  stay.” 

Rama,  however,  had  the  charmed  arrow  which  had 
been  given  to  him  by  Brahma  to  use  only  as  a last 
resort. 


i Raghu  was  the  great-grandfather  of  Rama. 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


25<i 


Havana’s  death. 

“ Then  Miltali  to  Rama  cried, 

‘ Let  other  arms  the  day  decide ; 

Launch  at  the  foe  thy  dart  whose  tire 
Was  kindled  by  the  Almighty  Sire.’ 

He  ceased,  and  Raglm’s  son  obeyed. 

Upon  his  string  the  hero  laid 
An  arrow  like  a snake  that  hissed, 

Whose  fiery  flight  had  never  missed. 

By  Brahma’s  self  on  him  bestowed 
When  forth  to  fight.  Lord  Indra  rode. 

lie  laid  it  on  the  trusted  cord 

And  turned  the  point  at  Lanka’s  lord  ; 

And  swift  the  limb-dividing  dart 
Pierced  the  huge  chest  and  cleft  the  heart, 
And  dead  he  fell  upon  the  plain. 

Like  Vritra1  by  the  Thunderer  slain. 

The  Rakshas  host  when  Ravan  fell, 

Sent  forth  a wild,  terrific  yell, 

Then  turned  and  fled,  all  hope  resigned, 
Through  Lanka’s  gates,  nor  looked  behind. 
His  voice  each  joyous  Vanar  raised. 

And  ‘ Rama,  conquering  Rama,’  praised. 
Soft  from  celestial  minstrels  came 
The  sound  of  music  and  acclaim  ; 

Soft,  fresh,  and  cool,  a rising  breeze 
Brought  odors  from  the  heavenly  trees ; 
And,  ravishing  the  sight  and  smell, 

A wondrous  rain  of  blossoms  fell ; 


i The  spirit  of  evil  who  was  slain  by  Indra,  “ the  Thunderer.” 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BAifAYANA.  257 

And  voices  breathed  round  Raghu’s  son, 
‘Champion  of  gods,  well  done,  well  done.’” 

Ere  long  the  cry  that  the  monarch  had  fallen  was 
borne  to  his  palace,  and  all  his  wives  came  out  with 
disheveled  hair  and  went  to  the  battle-field,  uttering 
bitter  cries  as  they  passed  through  the  terror-stricken 
throng  in  the  streets.  When  they  came  to  the  dead 
body  of  the  demon,  some  of  them  fainted  and  others 
caressed  the  hideous  creature  as  if  he  were  still  alive. 
Kama  was  touched  by  their  sorrow,  and  ordered  Vib- 
hishana  to  take  the  women  back  to  the  inner  apart- 
ments of  the  palace  and  perform  the  funeral  rites  for 
his  brother  Havana. 

The  dead  raja  was  buried  with  elaborate  ceremonies 
and  all  the  pomp  appropriate  to  an  imperial  funeral. 
As  soon  as  the  days  of  mourning  were  ended,  Yiblil- 
shana  was  installed  as  raja  of  Lanka. 

THE  RESTORATION  OF  SITA. 

When  all  the  rites  had  been  performed,  Rama  for- 
mally demanded  of  the  new  raja  the  return  of  his  wife. 
Vibhishana  immediately  ordered  that  a multitude  of 
maids  should  attend  upon  Slta  ; that  they  should  dress 
her  hair  and  adorn  her  person  in  a way  that  befitted 
her  queenly  estate.  She  had  received  the  crown  of 
youth  from  the  aged  devotee  in  the  forest  and  was 
beautiful  as  a dream.  Xeither  tears  nor  suffering  had 
power  to  mar  her  bright  face  or  change  the  delicate 
lines  of  her  beautiful  mouth. 

His  lovely  queen  was  brought  in  imperial  state  to 
Rama,  attended  by  a long  procession  of  musicians  and 
dancing  girls,  her  palanquin  well-nigh  covered  with 


258 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


flowers.  Kama  ordered  the  carriage  to  be  opened  and 
bade  his  wife  descend,  that  her  great  beauty  might  be 
seen  by  the  troops  who  had  so  valiantly  fought  for  her 
rescue.  Although  this  order  was  a violation  of  Hindu 
etiquette,  which  did  not  allow  a wife  to  be  seen  un- 
veiled, the  loving  Slta  obeyed  without  hesitation  and 
stepped  out  in  full  view  of  the  multitude.  A low 
murmur  of  admiration  passed  through  the  throng  as 
the  beautiful  vision  dawned  upon  them.  STta  stood  in 
the  presence  of  her  lord,  with  her  loving  eyes  upon  the 
ground,  while  with  joined  hands  she  reverently  waited 
his  summons  to  fly  into  his  arms.  The  thought  of  his 
loving  welcome  had  been  her  only  comfort  in  the  ter- 
rible hours  of  her  captivity,  and  her  loyal  heart  hun- 
gered for  the  warm  love  and  caresses  which  had  been 
her  life  in  the  years  that  were  gone. 

But  no  word  of  affection,  no  look  of  love,  greeted 
the  restored  captive.  With  folded  arms  and  stony  eyes 
he  thus  addressed  her  : 

“ Lady,  at  length  my  task  is  done. 

And  thou,  the  prize  of  war,  art  won. 

If  from  my  home  my  queen  was  reft, 

This  arm  hath  well  avenged  the  theft ; 

And  in  the  field  has  washed  away 
The  blot  that  on  my  honor  lay. 

But,  lady,  Twas  not  love  for  thee 
That  led  mine  army  o’er  the  sea. 

I battled  to  avenge  the  cause 
Of  honor  and  insulted  laws. 


259 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  EAMAYAXA. 

My  love  is  fled,  for  on  thy  fame 
Lies  the  dark  blot  of  sin  and  shame. 

And  thou -art  hateful  as  the  light 
That  flashes  on  the  injured  sight ; 

The  world  is  all  before  thee ; flee  ! 

Go  where  thou  wilt,  but  not  with  me. 

For  Ravan  bore  thee  through  the  sky. 

And  fixed  on  thine  his  evil  eye ; 

About  thy  waist  his  arm  he  threw. 

Close  to  his  breast  his  captive  drew, 

And  kept  thee,  vassal  of  his  power. 

An  inmate  of  his  ladies’  bower.” 

At  these  cruel  words  the  smooth  cheek  paled  with 
agony,  the  beautiful  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  the 
delicate  frame  quivered  beneath  his  scorn  like  an  aspen 
leaf  swept  by  a terrible  tempest. 

sIta’s  trial  and  vindication. 

The  beautiful  woman  stood  trembling  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  man  she  had  so  long  worshiped,  and  who 
had  chosen  to  reward  her  devotion  by  public  humilia- 
tion and  accusation.  At  last  amidst  her  sobs  she 
answered  : 

“ Canst  thou,  a high-born  prince,  dismiss 
A high-born  dame  with  speech  like  this  ? 

Such  words  befit  the  meanest  kind. 

Not  princely  birth  and  generous  mind. 

By  all  my  virtuous  life  I swear 
I am  not  what  thy  words  declare. 

If  some  are  faithless,  wilt  thou  find 


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THE  AXCIENT  BOOKS  OF  IXDIA. 


No  love  or  truth  in  womankind  ? 

Doubt  others  if  thou  wilt,  but  own 
The  truth  which  all  my  life  has  shown. 

If  when  the  giant  seized  his  prey 
Within  his  hated  arms  I lay 
And  felt  the  grasp  I dreaded,  blame 
Fate  and  the  robber,  not  thy  dame. 

What  could  a helpless  woman  do  ? 

My  heart  was  thine  and  still  was  true.” 

Then  turning  to  his  brother  Lakshmana,  who  had 
always  been  her  loyal  friend,  she  commanded  him  to 
prepare  for  her  a funeral  pile,  declaring  that  its  fire 
was  her  only  refuge  in  her  dark  despair.  Said  she, 
“ I will  not  live  beneath  the  weight  of  the  shame  and 
injustice  which  have  been  heaped  upon  me ; I will 
end  my  woes  by  entering  the  fire,  and  thou,  my 
brother,  in  preparing  it  for  me  wilt  prove  my  best 
and  truest  friend.” 

“ His  mournful  eyes  the  hero  raised 
And  wistfully  on  Rama  gazed. 

In  whose  stern  look  no  ruth  was  seen, 

No  mercy  for  the  weeping  queen. 

No  chieftain  dared  to  meet  those  eyes, 

To  pray,  to  question,  or  advise. 

The  word  was  passed,  the  wood  was  piled, 

And  fain  to  die  stood  Janak’s  child. 

She  slowly  paced  around  her  lord. 

The  gods  with  reverent  act  adored. 

Then,  raising  suppliant  hands,  the  dame 
Prayed  humbly  to  the  lord  of  flame  : 

• As  this  fond  heart  by  virtue  swayed 


261 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYANA. 

From  Raghu’s  son  lias  never  strayed. 

So  universal  witness,  fire. 

Protect  my  body  on  the  pyre. 

As  Raghu’s  son  has  idly  laid 
This  charge  on  Sita,  hear  and  aid.' 

She  ceased  and,  fearless  to  the  last. 

Within  the  flames’  wild  fury  passed.’’ 

Lakshmana  and  others  looked  anxiously  at  Rama, 
expecting  to  see  some  sign  of  relenting  in  his  stony 
face  ; but  he  was  the  victim  of  his  own  false  ideas 
concerning  woman’s  purity  and  honor  and  stood  look- 
ing on  with  folded  arms,  while  the  flames  wreathed 
the  fair  form  of  his  wife.  The  beautiful  victim  quiv- 
ered in  anguish,  and  cries  of  reproach  came  from  the 
troops.  When  it  was  too  late  to  save  her  from  her 
fate,  Rama  seemed  to  relent,  and  he  cried,  “Alas! 
I have  reproached  her  for  nothing— I shall  never  find 
so  faithful  a wife  again.”  But  the  cruel  pyre  blazed 
on  amidst  the  cries  and  lamentations  of  the  multitude, 
when  lo  ! the  god  of  fire  came  forth  from  the  flames, 
bearing  Sita  in  his  arms,  a beautiful  living  queen. 

“ Fair  as  the  morning  was  her  sheen, 

And  gold  and  gems  adorned  the  queen. 

Her  form  in  crimson  robes  arrayed. 

Her  hair  was  bound  in  glossy  braid.” 

Giving  her  to  Rama  Agni  said : “ Take  her  as 

your  wife.  She  is  without  a stain.  I know  the 
hearts  of  all,  and  had  she  the  shadow  of  a stain  upon 
her  chastity  she  could  never  have  passed  in  safety  from 
me.”  Then  Rama  placed  his  arm  around  her,  and 


262 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ashamed  to  confess  the  great  wrong  that  he  had  done 
her,  complacently  said,  “ I knew  my  beloved  Sltil  was 
chaste  and  true,  but  1 put  her  to  the  test  of  the  fire, 
lest  men  should  blame  me.  Now  I am  free  from  all 
censure.’’  Ilis  troops  applauded  him,  and  Sita,  with 
that  womanly  forgiveness  which  is  so  nearly  akin  to 
the  divine,  nestled  again  in  her  husband’s  bosom. 

TRIUMPHANT  RETURN  TO  AYODHYA. 

The  time  of  his  exile  was  now  drawing  to  a close,  and 
Rama  ordered  that  the  great  golden  chariot1  which 
had  been  used  by  Ravana  should  be  made  ready  for 
their  triumphal  departure.  But  Sugriva  and  all  of 
the  monkeys,  and  Vibhishana,  and  even  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Lanka,  begged  that  they  might  be  allowed  to 
witness  his  inauguration  at  Ayodhya.  Rama  therefore 
commanded  that  all  of  the  monkeys  and  all  of  the 
Rakshasas  should  enter  the  golden  chariot.  Then  the 
great  car,  laden  with  millions  of  monkeys  and  demons, 
with  Rama  and  Sita  in  the  seat  of  honor,  arose  in  the 
air  and  flew  rapidly  to  the  northward.  When  they 
arrived  at  the  beautiful  mountain  of  Citra-kuta,  Rama 
sent  Ilanuman  to  the  city  in  order  to  inform  his 
brother  Bharata  of  his  approach. 

When  the  younger  brother  received  the  glad  news 
he  summoned  his  counselors  together  and  issued  a joy- 
ful proclamation  to  the  people : “Cast  aside  all  sorrow 
and  grief  and  prepare  to  receive  Rama.  Let  the  whole 
city  be  adorned  and  let  worship  be  offered  to  every 
god.  Let  every  horse  and  elephant  and  chariot  be 

i This  was  the  self-moving  car  Pushpaka,  which  the  demon  king  had  stolen 
from  the  god  of  wealth. 


263 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAM  A YANA. 

gotten  ready,  and  let  every  man  go  ont  to  meet  Rama 
on  his  return  to  Ayodhya.” 

When  the  people  heard  that  Rama  was  indeed  re- 
turning, the  whole  city  rejoiced  and  began  to  array 
itself  for  the  festival.  The  streets  were  swept  and 
sprinkled  with  perfumed  waters  and  strewn  with  flow- 
ers. At  the  foot  of  every  tree  was  placed  a golden  jar 
of  sacred  water,  filled  with  the  beautiful  branches  of 
the  mango  tree  or  sprays  of  the  feathery  tamarind 
and  wreathed  with  tropical  flowers.  The  houses  were 
also  decorated  with  floral  designs  and  with  flags.  Then 
the  great  procession  was  formed,  and  with  flying  ban- 
ners and  strains  of  music  the  whole  army  went  out  to 
greet  Rama.  Upon  his  head  Bharata  carried  his 
brother’s  golden  sandals,  above  which  was  held  the 
royal  canopy.  Two  men  attended  the  sandals,  fanning 
them  with  snow-white  fans.  Bharata  was  surrounded 
by  all  the  ministers  and  counselors  of  the  raj  and  by 
a multitude  of  people  from  the  city.  When  Rama 
and  his  attendants  met  them,  the  forest  resounded 
with  shouts  of  welcome.  The  two  brothers  embraced 
each  other  affectionately,  and  through  the  long  lines 
rang  the  shout  of  “ Victory  to  Rama  ! ” 

Rama  bowed  at  the  feet  of  Kausalya,  and  the  glad 
mother  took  her  son  once  more  in  her  arms  and 
blessed  him  with  her  warm  caresses.  Rama  dismissed 
the  chariot  Pushpaka,  and  bade  it  return  to  its  right- 
ful owner,  Kuvera,  (the  god  of  wealth)  from  whom  it 
had  been  taken  by  Ravana.  Then  Rama  and  his 
brothers  were  bathed  with  perfumed  waters  and  an- 
ointed with  fragrant  oils,  and  laying  aside  their  de- 
votee’s dress  of  bark  put  on  a costume  of  yellow  silk. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


with  many  jewels.  The  ladies  of  the  court  attended 
to  the  toilet  of  Sita,  and  she,  too,  was  arrayed  in  ex- 
quisite garments. 

The  great  procession  then  started  to  return  to 
Ayodhya,  and  Rama  directed  the  monkeys  to  choose 
whatever  conveyance  they  pleased.  Some  of  them, 
therefore,  mounted  the  chariots  or  suspended  them- 
selves from  the  edge  above  the  wheels,  and  others 
curled  their  tails  around  the  tusks  of  the  elephants 
and  rocked  to  the  swaying  motion  of  the  animals, 
while  others  still  clung  to  the  manes  of  the  horses. 
When  all  was  ready  the  strains  of  music  again  pealed 
through  the  forest,  and  the  great  procession  went 
back  to  the  capital  city. 

Rama  was  installed  as  the  raja  amid  the  great  re- 
joicing of  the  people,  and  the  city  wore  its  gala  robes, 
while  the  streets  resounded  with  glad  music  for  many 
days  and  nights.  “Long  live  Maha-raja  Rama,”  was 
the  joyous  cry  that  rang  through  the  air  at  all  hours 
of  the  night,  and  “ Long  live  Maha-raja  Rama,”  was 
the  glad  refrain  that  greeted  the  light  of  the  morn- 
ing. Day  after  day  musicians  haunted  the  windows 
of  the  palace,  chanting  the  praises  of  the  imperial 
pair,  and  the  years  went  softly  by,  wearing  the 
sandals  of  peace  and  the  bright  robes  of  happiness. 

“ No  widow  mourned  her  murdered  mate, 

No  house  was  ever  desolate ; 

The  happy  land  no  murrain  knew. 

The  flocks  and  herds  increased  and  grew. 

The  earth  her  kindly  fruits  supplied  ; 

No  harvest  failed  — no  children  died. 


2 Go 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA. 

Unknown  were  want,  disease  and  crime, 

So  calm,  so  happy  was  the  time.” 

BAXISHMENT  OF  SITA. 

At  last,  however,  it  began  to  he  whispered  in  the 
capital  that  a woman  who  had  spent  months  of  her 
life  at  the  court  of  the  demon  king  was  unfit  to  be 
the  queen  of  Ayodhya.  One  of  his  ministers  who  was 
bolder  than  the  others  found  courage  to  say  to  Rama, 
“ There  is  poverty  among  your  subjects,  oh,  Maha- 
raja ! because  of  your  sin  in  taking  Sita  back.”  The 
cloud  of  discontent  continued  to  gather  around  the 
royal  pair,  and  occasionally  the  rumors  were  brought  to 
the  ears  of  the  king.  He  knew  that  his  wife  was  as 
pure  as  the  snow  upon  the  distant  peak  of  the  Hima- 
laya ; he  knew  that  she  was  as  far  above  immorality  as 
that  icy  coronal  was  above  the  dust  in  the  vale  at  its 
feet.  The  god  of  fire  had  brought  her  out  of  the 
flames  because  of  her  unconquerable  chastity,  and  had 
presented  her  to  him  as  pure  gold  is  brought  from 
the  crucible.  But  this  divine  Rama,  the  mere  chant- 
ing of  whose  name  is  still  supposed  to  bring  absolu- 
tion from  all  sin,  had  not  the  manliness  to  stand  by 
his  loyal  wife  in  the  hour  of  her  greatest  need. 

She  had  gladly  left  a court  of  luxury  to  follow  in 
his  exile  the  man  she  worshiped.  For  his  sake  she 
had  bravely  met  the  terrors  of  the  jungle,  and  but 
for  her  loyal  love  to  him  she  would  not  have  been  ex- 
posed to  the  terrible  hand  of  the  demon  king.  But 
his  danger  was  passed  ; prosperity  now  flowed  upon 
Rama  in  one  broad  golden  river,  and  his  vanity  craved 
even  a stronger  adulation  from  his  subjects. 


26G 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


He  was  the  model  of  all  the  Hindu  divinities,  the 
noblest  and  bravest  of  all  the  gods  of  their  mythol- 
ogy ; but  he  turned  treacherously  against  the  brave 
woman  whose  life  had  been  one  long  scene  of  devo- 
tion to  him.  She  was  soon  to  become  a mother  — 
soon  to  give  him  an  heir  to  the  throne ; but  without 
deigning  to  give  her  any  explanation,  he  sent  her 
away  to  face  the  dangers  of  the  jungle,  under  the  pre- 
tense that  she  was  to  visit  the  sages  there.  She  was 
accompanied  only  by  Lakshmana,  who  was  ordered  to 
explain  the  situation  to  her  and  then  leave  her  alone 
in  a thicket  which  was  near  the  mountain  of  Oitra- 
kuta. 1 

Here  came  the  banished  wife  and  paused  in  terri- 
ble agony  not  far  from  the  cot  which  she  had  made 

so  happy  for  her  exiled  prince.  Her  faithful  brother 
had  wept  bitterly  when  he  told  her  of  the  cruel  orders 
of  her  husband,  and  besought  her  to  try  to  reach  the 
hermitage  of  Valmlki.  But  she  knew  not  which  way 
to  turn  to  find  the  humble  home  of  the  devotees. 
Overwhelmed  with  suffering  she  wandered  over  a sandy 
plain,  on  which  the  tropical  sun  blazed  like  a fiery 
furnace.  Her  tender  feet  were  torn  with  thorns  and 
burned  to  blisters,  while  ever  and  anon  her  frame  quiv- 
ered with  a new,  strange  agony  that  she  had  never 

known  before.  Physical  suffering  is  hard  enough  to 
bear,  but  cannot  be  compared  with  the  sufferings  of  a 
loyal  heart  which  is  being  trampled  to  death  by  the 

l There  is  also  a legend  to  the  effect  that  Rama  sent  his  faithful 
brother  into  exile,  and  J.  Talboys  Wheeler  remarks  that  “We  might 
almost  infer  from  the  current  of  national  tradition  that  Rama  as  he  ad- 
vanced in  years  became  jealous  and  peevish,  like  Henry  the  Eighth.”— 
(Hist,  of  Ind.,  Vol.  II,  p.  405.) 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMAYAXA.  267 

object  of  its  worship.  But  she  had  given  him  so  much 
of  tenderness,  and  Rama  knew  the  faithful  love  of 
his  wife  so  well,  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  outrage 
her  purest  and  most  sacred  feelings,  assured  that  the 
wounded  heart  would  gladly  creep  back  to  his,  when- 
ever in  his  own  royal  pleasure  he  saw  fit  to  treat  her 
decently.  The  exiled  wife  still  struggled  on  her  un- 
known way,  her  throat  parched  with  thirst  and  her 
delicate  skin  scorched  by  the  blazing  sun,  until  the 
birds  in  pity  dipped  their  pinions  in  the  waters  of 
the  Ganges  and  fanned  her  feverish  face,  that  she 
might  not  faint  with  the  heat.  The  royal  tiger, 
ashamed  of  the  cowardice  and  treachery  of  Rama,  left 
his  cool  bed  in  the  jungle  and  walked  beside  her  to 
protect  her  from  the  hungry  wolves  in  the  wilderness. 
But  at  last  she  fell  fainting  by  the  way  and  was  found 
in  a swoon  by  Valmiki  the  sage,  who  lifting  her  ten- 
derly in  his  arms  carried  her  to  his  hermitage,  and 
gave  her  into  the  care  of  his  noble  wife. 

THE  SONS  OF  SITA. 

The  very  night  that  she  was  taken  into  the  humble 
home  of  the  devotees,  Sita  gave  birth  to  two  beautiful 
boys  whom  she  named  Lava  and  Kusa.  But  no  word  of 
inquiry  was  sent  from  Rama  to  learn  the  fate  of  his 
wife.  Living  in  luxurious  splendor  himself,  he  did 
not  ask  whether  Sita  had  found  a place  of  refuge  or 
had  been  devoured  by  the  wild  beasts  of  the  jungle. 

The  two  sons  of  Sita,  were  carefully  educated  by 
Valmiki.  Before  they  were  twenty  years  of  age  they 
had  attained  to  physical  and  mental  manhood.  The 
devoted  mother  lived  in  her  noble  boys  and  poured 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


208 


upon  them  the  wealth  of  affection  which  had  been  so 
cruelly  despised  by  Rama.  They  in  return  almost  wor- 
shiped their  beautiful  mother,  doing  everything  in 
their  power  for  her  comfort  and  happiness. 

As  the  years  passed  by  Rama  began  to  feel  uneasy, 
not  on  account  of  his  cruelty  to  Slta,  but  because  he 
had  slain  Ravana,  who  was  the  son  of  a Brahman.  To 
slay  a Brahman  was  a grievous  sin  to  the  Hindus,  he 
therefore  resolved  to  perform  the  horse  sacrifice  and 
thereby  obtain  absolution  for  his  crime,  in  order  that 
he  might  not  forfeit  any  of  the  rewards  in  future 
births. 

The  horse  was  procured  and  given  his  liberty  with 

the  usual  ceremonies,  and  Rama’s  younger  brother 

Satru-ghna  followed  him  with  an  army.  As  he  wan- 

✓ 

dered  away  without  control  he  at  last  came  to  Citra- 
kuta,  where  the  sons  of  Slta  were  hunting.  Lava  had 
just  sent  his  unfailing  arrow  through  the  heart  of  an 
antelope,  when  his  eyes  fell  upon  a magnificent  horse 
which  appeared  to  be  entirely  uncontrolled.  lie  cap- 
tured the  beautiful  animal  and  was  leading  it  away, 
when  he  was  attacked  by  the  whole  army.  Turning 
upon  them,  however,  he  called  his  brother,  who  was 
a little  further  in  the  jungle,  and  the  two  gallant  boys 
soon  put  the  whole  army  to  flight.  When  Rama  heard 
what  had  occurred,  he  angrily  ordered  Lakshmana  to 
go  out  with  another  body  of  men  and  recover  the 
horse.  But  his  troops  also  were  defeated  by  the  won- 
derful prowess  of  Lava  and  Kusa,  and  he  himself  was 
left  for  dead  upon  the  field. 

At  last  Rama  went  in  person  at  the  head  of  an 
army,  determined  to  conquer  an  enemy  who  threatened 


269 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  RAMA  YANA. 

to  become  invincible.  Having  reached  the  place  of  the 
former  defeat  he  went  alone  to  meet  the  two  young 
men,  and  ascertain  if  possible  who  they  were.  Soon  he 
saw  two  splendid  specimens  of  manhood  coming  toward 
him  with  a fearless  step  and  an  imperial  bearing,  which 
told  him  they  were  of  royal  birth.  The  youths  bowed 
reverently  before  him,  and  Rama  inquired  of  them 
whose  sons  they  were.  “ Our  mother’s  name,”  an- 
swered Lava,  “is  Sita,  but  we  do  not  know  who  our 
father  is.  We  have  been  brought  up  and  educated  by 
the  good  sage  Valmlki,  who  lives  near  us.” 

When  Rama  realized  that  his  own  sons  stood  before 
him,  he  was  overcome  with  emotion  and  before  he 
could  speak  Valmlki  appeared  upon  the  scene  and 
begged  of  him  to  be  reconciled  to  his  wife. 

He  then  stated  to  Valmlki  that  he  knew  Slta  to  be 
the  soul  of  purity  and  was  rejoiced  to  find  that  his 
sons  had  become  such  noble  men.  “ But,”  said 
he,  “it  is  necessary  to  prove  the  chastity  of  Slta,”  and 
turning  to  his  assembled  troops,  which  had  been 
brought  forward  by  his  command,  he  complacently  an- 
nounced to  them  that  Slta  would  again  demonstrate 
her  innocence  by  undergoing  the  fiery  ordeal,  and 
ordered  Valmlki  to  bring  his  wife  into  his  presence. 

THE  DEPARTURE  OF  SITA. 

But  the  grandest  and  purest  devotion  that  ever  lived 
in  the  heart  of  woman  may  be  murdered  by  persistent 
outrage.  Rama  had  by  his  own  conduct  deliberately 
killed  the  great  love  which  his  faithful  wife  had  borne 
for  him  so  many  years.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life 
Sita  refused  to  obey  his  call,  declaring  that  she  had 


270 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


no  wish  to  look  upon  his  face  again.  But  her  old 
friend  Valmlki,  who  had  been  a father  to  her  in  her 
time  of  need,  urged  her  to  lay  aside  her  personal  feel- 
ings in  the  matter,  and  for  the  sake  of  her  children  to 
forgive  their  father.  Unable  to  resist  the  entreaties 
of  Valmlki  and  his  noble  wife,  she  at  last  con- 
sented. Bathing  herself  in  perfumed  waters  and  wear- 
ing silken  garments,  she  was  brought  to  the  place  of 
sacrifice. 

She  still  wore  the  crown  of  eternal  youth  which  had 
been  given  her  in  the  forest,  and  the  mother  of  these 
stalwart  sons  appeared  before  her  husband  in  all  the 
youth  and  beauty  of  the  bride  whom  he  had  won  so 
many  years  before.  Exclamations  of  wonder  and  ad- 
miration passed  from  lip  to  lip,  and  Rama  gazed  as  if 
spellbound  upon  this  vision  of  loveliness,  which  en- 
tranced his  senses  as  in  bygone  days.  She  heard  again 
his  voice,  but  her  murdered  heart  could  not  leap  again 
for  joy.  She  stood  before  him  again  with  downcast 
eyes,  which  she  would  not  raise  toward  her  treacherous 
husband.  But  instead  of  invoking  the  god  of  fire,  as 
before,  she  said,  “ Oh,  Earth,  if  I have  never  turned 
my  thoughts  toward  any  man  but  Rama ; if  my  truth 
and  purity  are  known  to  thee;  I beseech  of  thee  to 
open  a passage  for  me  and  receive  me  into  thy  bosom, 
for  I will  never  again  behold  the  face  of  any  living 
creature.”1  On  hearing  these  terrible  words,  a thrill 
of  horror  ran  through  the  multitude,  and  they  waited 
spellbound  for  the  last  scene  in  the  great  drama.  The 
earth  thus  appealed  to  slowly  heaved  and  opened, 
while  the  terror-stricken  throng  looked  on  in  breathless 


l See  the  Adhyatma  version. 


271 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  R AMAYA  FT  A. 

silence.  Out  of  the  newly  formed  abyss  arose  a splendid 
throne,  adorned  with  gold  and  studded  with  gems  ; it 
was  set  with  pearls  and  rubies  and  supported  by  four 
of  the  sacred  serpents.  Then  the  beautiful  goddess  of 
the  earth  came  from  the  chasm,  wearing  a robe  of  mol- 
ten silver,  and  taking  Sita  by  the  hand  she  said,  “I 
come,  Sita,  in  obedience  to  thy  command.  Thou  art 
worthy  of  the  purest  affection  of  immortals.  I have 
brought  this  throne  for  thy  conveyance  to  the  regions 
of  happiness.”  Having  thus  spoken  she  led  Sita  to 
the  throne,  and  took  a seat  beside  her ; the  glad  earth 
swallowed  them  up,  and  the  gods  sang  the  praises  of 
Sita  and  threw  masses  of  beautiful  flowers  upon  the 
spot  where  she  had  disappeared.  But  the  terror- 
stricken  spectators,  turning  their  eyes  upon  Rama,  be- 
held him  groveling  upon  the  ground  in  agony.  At 
length  the  aged  and  heart-broken  king  returned  to  the 
palace,  taking  his  sons  with  him.  But  the  virtues  and 
sorrows  of  Sita  will  be  sung  in  the  beautiful  land  of 
the  Hindu  by  lips  which  are  yet  unborn,  and  the  notes 
of  the  song  will  echo  through  the  crags  of  the  Himalayas 
and  be  borne  to  the  sea  upon  the  musical  waves  of  the 
Ganges. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 

THE  COMPANION  OF  THE  RAMAYANA — A COLOSSAL 
POEM  — DERIVATION  OF  THE  NAME  — HISTORICAL 
VALUE  OF  THE  MAIIA-BHARATA — THE  RELIGION  OF 
THE  GREAT  EPIC  — LITERARY  STYLE  — THE  AGE  OF 
THE  MAIIA-BHARATA  — TRANSLATION  OF  THE  WORK. 

A KOTIIER  Indian  Epic  of  colossal  proportions  is 
^ V the  Maha-bharata.  It  is  the  companion  piece 
of  the  Eamayana,  and  naturally  follows  it  in  the 
arrangement  of  Sanskrit  literature.  Although  some 
portions  of  it  were  doubtless  written  before  the  other 
poem,  it  was  probably  completed  a hundred  years  later 
than  the  Eamayana. 

The  Maha-bharata  is  the  most  gigantic  poetical 
work  known  to  literature.  It  consists  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  lines,  while  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey 
combined  contain  only  about  thirty  thousand.  It  is 
divided  into  eighteen  Parvans,  or  sections,  nearly  every 
one  of  which  would  make  a large  volume. 

It  is  claimed  in  the  introduction  that  the  word 
Maha-bharata  is  “derived  from  its  large  size  and  great 
weight,  because  the  poem  is  described  as  outweighing 
all  the  four  Vedas  and  the  mystical  writings  taken 
together.  ” 

The  word,  however,  really  comes  from  maha,  mean- 
273 


THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  273 

ing  great,  and  bharata,  relating  to  Bharata,  and  the 
title  of  the  poem  signifies  “The  Great  War  of  Bha- 
rata.” 

THE  HISTORICAL  VALUE  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 

Some  historians  claim  that  the  legends  .of  the  Maha- 
bharata  are  but  little  better  for  historical  purposes 
than  the  dreams  of  a madman,  but  it  must  be  admit- 
ted that  even  the  wildest  fictions  illustrate  the  ideas 
and  the  moral  standards  of  the  times  in  which  they 
were  produced.  The  literature  of  the  Hindus  is 
largely  found  in  their  two  great  epic  poems,  the 
Ramayana  and  Maha-bharata. 

These  masses  of  tradition  and  fable  are  the  national 
treasuries  from  which  their  bards  have  borrowed  the 
themes  for  their  ballads,  and  their  genealogists  have 
taken  the  materials  for  their  so-called  histories.  Hindu 
art  is  indebted  to  them  for  her  subjects,  and  the 
Hindu  drama  constantly  illustrates  the  characters  of 
the  two  poems.  Much  of  the  matter  of  the  Puranas 
has  been  taken  from  these  storehouses  of  literature, 
and  the  later  Brahmans  have  also  drawn  from  them 
the  subjects,  and  largely  the  matter,  of  their  religious 
discourses.  To  reject  these  stories,  then,  as  unfit  to 
serve  in  any  way  the  purpose  of  the  historian  would 
be  to  lose  valuable  hints  concerning  the  inner  life  of 
this  ancient  people.  It  is,  indeed,  questionable  how  far 
they  represent  the  real  facts  of  the  period  to  which 
they  refer,  but  they  certainly  must  reflect  to  a consid- 
erable degree  the  feeling  and  the  judgment  of  the  age 
in  which  they  were  composed. 

The  mass  of  Oriental  literature  found  in  these  two 


274 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


great  Epics  comprises  all  that  their  own  writers  have 
left  us  of  the  social,  political,  and  religious  history  of 
India.  A familiarity  with  these  two  poems,  therefore, 
is  indispensable  to  a knowledge  of  the  Hindus,  as 
their  influence  upon  the  peojde  is  stronger  and  more 
universal  than  Europeans  and  Americans  can  fully  ap- 
preciate. They  are  held  sacred  as  the  repositories  of 
their  faith,  and  are  cherished  as  the  treasures  of  the 
historian. 

We  might  have  expected  that  the  traditions  of  the 
royal  house  of  Bharata  would  throw  some  direct  light 
upon  the  Aryan  conquest  of  India ; but  the  attention 
of  the  earlier  warrior  bards  seems  to  have  been  concen- 
trated upon  the  fratricidal  contest  between  the  two 
rival  branches  of  the  royal  family.  Legends  have 
indeed  been  preserved  concerning  the  early  rajas,  but 
the  Kshatriya  bards  declared  that  the  rajas  of  Bharata 
were  descended  from  the  moon,  and  that  one  of  them 
had  conquered  Indra,  the  ruler  of  the  gods.  The 
Brahmanical  compilers  of  these  stories  promptly  admit- 
ted both  statements,  but  in  order  to  establish  the 
superiority  of  their  own  caste  they  asserted  that  the 
moon  itself  was  begotten  by  a Brahmanical  sage,  and 
that  the  raja  conquered  Indra  with  the  assistance  of 
the  Brahmans. 

It  is  with  such  material  as  this  that  the  historian 
has  to  deal.  Nevertheless,  there  is  an  apparently 
authentic  tradition  to  the  effect  that  the  Kauravas, 
who  were  the  sons  of  the  blind  raja  Dhrita-rashtra, 
engaged  in  a long  and  bitter  rivalry  with  their  cous- 
ins, the  Pandavas,  who  were  the  sons  of  raja  Pandu, 
and  that  it  was  this  rivalry  between  the  two  branches 


THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  275 

of  the  royal  house  that  led  to  the  great  war  from 
which  the  Maha-bharata  derives  its  name.  The  in- 
struction which  was  given  to  these  princes  throws  con- 
siderable light  upon  the  so-called  education  of  that 
age,  and  the  whole  story  illustrates  the  relations  that 
existed  between  Aryan  settlers  and  the  original  inhabi- 
tants. 

This  Epic  contains  vivid  pictures  of  the  social  posi- 
tion of  the  Hindu  woman  before  the  Mohammedan 
conquest.  The  habit  of  seclusion,  and  the  acknowl- 
edged inferiority  of  their  wives  are  to  a certain  extent 
natural  to  the  Eastern  nations,  and  prevailed  even  in 
the  earliest  times.  Still,  there  are  passages  in  both 
Epics  which  clearly  establish  the  fact  that  the  women 
of  India  were  under  less  social  restraint  in  former  days 
than  at  present  and  enjoyed  considerable  liberty,  of 
which  they  have  been  deprived  by  the  influence  of 
Mohammedanism. 

These  strange  traditions  are  not  to  be  accepted,  of 
course,  as  literal  narratives,  but  they  are  to  be  studied 
carefully,  that  we  may  catch  the  historic  value  of 
their  pictures,  the  meaning  of  their  allusions,  the  sig- 
nificance of  their  surroundings,  and,  above  all,  the 
spirit  of  the  individual  and  national  life  which  they 
depict. 

THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  GREAT  EPIC 

is  in  the  main  a spiritualistic  pantheism,  in  which 
one  spirit  is  represented  as  peopling  heaven  under 
various  personifications  and  becoming  incarnate  upon 
the  earth  in  a multitude  of  different  characters.  But 
the  work  of  compilation  covered  so  long  a period  that 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


276 


the  poem  exhibits  almost  all  of  the  multitudinous 
forms  of  Hinduism ; at  times  its  heroes  are  models 
of  strictness  in  their  adherence  to  the  rules  of  priest- 
craft, and  again  they  display  the  greatest  laxity  of 
conduct  and  a marked  opposition  to  the  ritual  of  the 
ecclesiastics.  But  upon  one  point  at  least  it  is  always 
a unit,  and  that  is  the  assertion  of  its  own  sanctity. 

Vyasa,  the  supposed  author  or  compiler,  says,  in  his 
exordium  to  the  work:  “The  reading  of  the  Bluirata 
is  sacred  ; all  the  sins  of  him  who  reads  but  a portion 
of  it  shall  he  obliterated  without  exception.  . . lie 

who  in  faith  shall  persevere  in  listening  to  the  recital 
of  this  sacred  book  shall  obtain  a long  life,  great 
renown,  and  the  way  to  heaven.”  To  this  day  it  is 
devoutly  believed  that  only  to  listen  to  portions  of 
either  poem  is  a deed  of  such  merit  that  it  will  insure 
prosperity  in  this  world  and  happiness  hereafter  ; that 
it  will  bring  wealth  to  the  poverty-stricken  and  chil- 
dren to  the  barren  woman.  Patriotism,  as  well  as 
religion,  has  shed  a halo  of  sanctity  over  these  great 
Epics,  which  are  regarded  by  the  Hindu  as  a national 
possession  and  cherished  by  him  as  the  peculiar  heritage 
of  his  race. 

LITERARY  STYLE. 

The  Maha-bharata,  unlike  the  Ramayana,  is  not  a 
single  poem ; it  is  an  immense  collection  of  Hindu 
mythology,  legend  and  philosophy.  The  main  narra- 
tive is  merely  a thread  connecting  a vast  number  of 
traditions  and  myths,  the  arrangement  of  which  resem- 
bles somewhat  that  of  the  Arabian  Nights. 

In  consequence  of  its  miscellaneous  origin  and  the 


THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


277 


protracted  period  of  its  composition,  the  style  of  the 
work  is  exceedingly  varied ; but  the  language  is  usu- 
ally simple  and  natural  in  its  construction.  The  progress 
of  the  story  is  checked  by  no  limitations  either  of  time, 
space,  or  numbers ; it  is  full  of  fabulous  chronological 
and  historical  details,  and  its  assertions  are  generally 
of  the  wildest  character.  Space  is  measured  by  mill- 
ions of  miles,  and  time  by  millions  of  years.  In  the 
descriptions  of  battle  scenes,  horses,  men,  and  elephants 
are  all  said  to  number  millions.  Yet  the  fictions  of 
the  two  Epics  are  still  essential  to  the  religious  creed 
of  the  Hindus.  It  is  true  that  the  educated  classes 
look  upon  the  more  extravagant  myths  as  allegorical, 
but  the  great  mass  of  the  people  receive  them  as  liter- 
ally true. 

The  speeches  which  have  been  preserved  in  the 
Maha-bharata  are  not  characterized  by  the  fiery  elo- 
quence which  breathes  from  the  lips  of  Homer's  heroes  ; 
on  the  contrary,  they  often  seem  childish  and  puerile. 
Still,  there  are  occasional  scenes  which  are  character- 
ized by  vigorous  and  dignified  thought.  Homer’s 
heroes,  however  assisted  by  their  tutelar  deities,  are 
always  men ; but  in  the  Indian  Epics  every  great  man 
is  a god,  and  his  foes  are  demons. 

The  deification  of  their  heroes  is  supposed  to  be 
largely  the  work  of  Brfihmanical  compilers,  who  sought 
by  this  means  to  bring  into  their  own  ranks  the  most 
distinguished  men  of  the  Kshatriya  class.  The  regard 
of  the  Indian  soldiery  for  their  favorite  commanders 
still  finds  expression  in  an  act  of  worship.  The  gal- 
lant John  Nicholson  was  revered  by  his  men  as  a demi- 
god, and  was  even  compelled  to  punish  them  for  their 


278 


THE  ANCIENT  ROOKS  OF  INDIA. 


superstitious  devotion.  Therefore,  it  is  natural  that  in 
the  Indian  Epics  the  boundaries  between  the  divine 
and  the  human  should  be  quite  indefinite.  Deities  or 
semi-divine  persons  are  constantly  appearing  upon  the 
scene,  while  gods,  animals,  and  men  are  liable  at  any 
time  to  change  places. 

In  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  the  supernatural  is  per- 
haps almost  as  prevalent,  but  it  is  introduced  and 
maintained  with  more  consistency,  and  hence  adds  to 
the  sublimity  of  those  poems,  instead  of  detracting 
from  them,  as  is  frequently  the  case  with  the  Hindu 
Epics.  But  in  portraying  scenes  of  domestic  love  and 
loyalty,  the  Sanskrit  writings  cannot  be  surpassed,  even 
by  the  eloquence  of  the  Grecian  classics.  Human 
nature  is  world-wide,  and  the  warm  heart  of  the  Hindu 
pours  out  his  love  in  the  luxuriant  poetry  of  his  own 
tropical  clime.  We  also  find  the  highest  portrayal  of 
woman’s  truth  and  purity,  even  though  she  is  often 
held  in  a position  entirely  unworthy  of  her  great  devo- 
tion. The  sacredness  of  love  and  the  holiness  of  do- 
mestic ties  are  as  beautiful  in  the  lines  of  the  Hindu 
poet  as  in  the  grander  numbers  of  Homer. 

THE  AGE  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 

This  work  appears  to  have  been  the  slow  growth  of 
three  or'  four  centuries.  It  is  supposed  that  the  ear- 
liest part  of  it  was  written  before  the  Ramayana ; for 
it  describes  a conflict  between  rude  colonists  at  a time 
which  is  nearer  to  the  earliest  settlements  of  the 
Aryans,  while  the  Ramayana  represents  a more  ad- 
vanced civilization.  But  the  principal  narrative  of  the 
Maha-bharata  is  so  completely  covered  by  later  addi- 


THE  MAHA-EHARATA. 


279 


tions  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  analyze  critically  the 
chronology  of  the  composition.  When  the  story  of 
the  great  war  had  become  a national  tradition,  subse- 
quent compilers  did  not  hesitate  to  insert  in  the  text 
the  legends  of  the  later  wars  waged  by  the  Aryans 
against  the  aborigines  during  their  progress  toward  the 
southeast. 

There  are  evidences  of  at  least  three  compilations 
or  collections  of  these  scattered  legends  and  songs  of 
India.  They  were  gathered  and  arranged  by  different 
authors  at  various  times  during  a period  covering  three 
or  four  hundred  years.  Sir  Monier  Williams  assigns 
the  first  orderly  completion  of  the  Maha-bharata  in  its 
Brahmanized  form  to  about  the  second  century  B.  C.1 
But  he  points  out  the  fact  that  Avhile  many  of  the 
legends  are  Yedic  and  of  great  antiquity,  many  others 
are  comparatively  modern  and  have  probably  found  a 
place  in  this  collection  during  the  Christian  era.  The 
primitive  elements  of  the  text  seem  to  belong  to  early 
times ; but  its  comparatively  modern  form  and  other 
indications  have  induced  scholars  to  assign  portions  of 
the  work  to  the  early  centuries  of  our  own  era. 

Weber  and  Lassen  agree  in  their  interpretation  of 
a passage  in  the  Maha-bharata  to  the  effect  that  early 
in  the  Christian  era  three  Brahmans  visited  a com- 
munity of  Christians,  and  that  on  their  return  “ they 
were  enabled  to  introduce  improvements  into  the 
hereditary  creed,  and  more  especially  to  make  the  wor- 
ship of  Krishna  Vasudeva  the  most  prominent  feature 
of  their  system.”2  If  these  Orientalists  are  correct  in 

1 See  Ind.  Wis.,  p.  319. 

2 Hardwick,  Vol.  I,  p.  189.  See  also  Notes  from  Weber  and  Lassen. 


280 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


their  rendering  of  this  passage,  it  proves  beyond  a 
doubt  that  some  parts  of  the  Maha-bharata  were  writ- 
ten during  the  Christian  era.  Prof.  Weber,  also,  who 
is  a man  of  critical  judgment  and  profound  scholarship, 
says,  “The  final  redaction  of  the  work  in  its  present 
shape  ....  must  have  been  some  centuries  after 
the  commencement  of  our  era.”1 

We  may  also  cite  the  testimony  of  the  distinguished 
native  scholar,  Kashinath  Trimbak  Telang,  M.  A.,  who 
states  that  “ we  have  reason  to  believe  some  parts  . . . 
of  the  Maha-bharata  to  have  been  in  existence  prior  to 
tbe  sixth  century  after  Christ,  and  that  some  parts  of 
the  thirty-seventh  chapter  were  probably  extant  in  the 
time  of  Patawjali  ; viz.,  the  second  century  before 
Christ.”2 

J.  Talboys  AVheeler  claims  that  a part  of  the  story 
of  Duryodhana  was  “ borrowed  from  the  Koran  of  the 
Mussulmans.”  If  he  is  correct  in  this  supposition,  it 
brings  some  portions  of  the  Maha-bharata  down  into 
the  Christian  era  at  least  as  far  as  the  seventh  cen- 
tury. 

TRANSLATION  OF  THE  WORK. 

We  have  not  as  yet  a complete  translation  of  this 
great  treasury  of  Hindu  literature,  but  many  portions 
of  it  have  been  given  to  the  English-speaking  world 
and  some  of  them  have  been  repeatedly  translated. 
The  task  of  analyzing  and  fairly  representing  the  work 
as  a whole  by  European  scholars  has  been  greatly  facili- 
tated by  the  discovery  of  a manuscript  translation  of 

1 Hist.  Ind.  Lit.  p.  188. 

2 See  Bhagavad-gita,  p.  110.  The  time  of  Pataajali  is  still  a debated  ques- 
tion, but  Prof.  Max  Muller  places  him  after  the  third  century  of  the  Chris- 
tian era. 


THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


281 


the  more  important  portions,  which  was  probably  made 
by  the  late  Prof.  H.  II.  Wilson.  This  valuable  docu- 
ment was  placed  some  years  ago  in  the  Calcutta  library, 
under  the  head  of  Bhagavad-gTta,  but  it  was  at  last 
found  to  contain  the  bulk  of  the  Maha-bharata.  The 
discovery  was  made  by  J.  Talboys  Wheeler,  who  pre- 
pared a critical  and  valuable  digest  of  the  whole  paper, 
consisting  of  nine  folio  volumes. 

Sir  Monier  Williams,  Pr.  Muir,  Rev.  II.  Milman, 
and  others  have  also  made  careful  translations  of  some 
portions  of  it,  and  other  parts  have  been  rendered  into 
English  by  a prominent  native  scholar.  We  have, 
besides,  more  than  one  careful  analysis  of  the  whole 
poem. 

In  the  two  following  chapters  we  shall  give  as  briefly 
as  possible  the  principal  story  of  the  Maha-bharata.  A 
full  translation  of  the  whole  of  this  colossal  poem 
would  fill  about  seventeen  volumes,  but  we  shall  present 
merely  an  outline  of  what  purports  to  be  the  historical 
portion. 

The  events  here  recorded  are  represented  as  taking 
place  in  an  age  previous  to  the  one  in  which  the  poet 
wrote,  the  heroes  of  the  great  war  having  lived  and 
died  perhaps  a thousand  years  before  their  deeds  were 
placed  upon  record.  These  events,  which  took  place  (if 
at  all)  in  the  early  Vedic  period  of  Indian  history, 
have  been  very  much  colored  and  changed  by  the 
opinions  of  the  succeeding  age.  The  religion  which 
flourished  at  the  time  of  the  great  war  had  to  a great 
extent  passed  away,  and  a new  one  had  been  estab- 
lished before  the  poems  were  composed.  Hence,  the 
heroes  of  the  Maha-bharata  are  more  or  less  deified  by 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  fancy  of  the  Brahmanical  compilers,  and  the  stu- 
dent of  modern  times  Can  only  guess  at  the  amount 
of  historical  fact  which  may  have  been  transmitted 
orally  from  one  generation  to  another  during  this  long 
period. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  THE  GREAT  WAR. 

THE  KAURAVAS  AND  PANDAVAS — THE  TOURNAMENT — 
THE  SVAYAmVARA — THE  HOME-COMING — DRAUPADI 
MARRIES  EIVE  HUSBANDS — THE  COUNCILS  OF  WAR — 
PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  GREAT  WAR — THE  CHAL- 
LENGE GIVEN  AND  ACCEPTED — RULES  OF  WARFARE. 

TN  early  times  the  royal  house  of  Bharata  was  rep- 
resented  by  two  rajas,  who  were  brothers.  Baja 
Pandu  was  a mighty  warrior,  the  hero  of  many  con- 
quests, and  his  kingdom,  the  raj  of  Hastinapur,  was  as 
great  and  glorious  as  it  had  been  under  the  reign  of 
raja  Bharata.  He  was  the  father  of  five  princely  sons, 
who  were  called  the  Panda vas.  The  name  of  the  eldest 
was  Yudhi-shthira.  Bhima,  the  second  son,  was  dis- 
tinguished for  his  voracious  appetite,  it  being  the  fam- 
ily custom  to  serve  as  much  food  to  him  as  was  eaten 
by  his  four  brothers.  The  next  was  gallant  Arjuna, 
tall,  handsome,  and  kingly  in  his  bearing.  The  two 
youngest  sons  were  Xakula  and  Sahadeva.  The  royal 
brother  of  raja  Pandu  was  the  blind  king  Dlirita- 
rashtra,  who  was  the  father  of  a family  called  Kaura- 
vas,  after  their  ancestor  Kura.1  The  eldest  son  was 
named  Duryodhana,  but  the  bravest  was  Duhsasana. 

i It  is  said  that  Gandhari,  the  wife  of  the  blind  raja,  once  hospitably  en- 
tertained a great  sage,  whereupon  he  offered  her  any  boon  that  she  might 

283 


284 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Raja  Panda  died  while  yet  comparatively  young, 
and  the  blind  king  took  the  surviving  widow  of  his 
brother  and  her  five  sons  into  his  own  palace.  lie 
tried  to  nurture  in  the  young  princes  a genuine  re- 
sjiect  and  affection  for  each  other,  but  a spirit  of 
rivalry  and  jealousy  seemed  to  exist  between  them  from 
the  first  hour  in  which  they  shared  the  same  home. 
A famous  preceptor  named  Drona  was  engaged  to  edu- 
cate them  in  the  use  of  arms,  but  he  was  so  indis- 
creet as  to  exhibit  a preference  for  the  Paudavas,  es- 
pecially in  the  case  of  Arjuna,  who  was  evidently  his 
favorite.  This  manifest  preference  of  the  preceptor 
added  fuel  to  the  flames  of  jealousy,  and  Duryodhana, 
the  eldest  of  the  Kauravas,  was  especially  vindictive 
against  Arjuna,  who  under  the  instruction  of  Drona 
became  the  most  famous  archer  of  his  time. 

THE  TOURNAMENT. 

After  years  of  careful  instruction  and  faithful  prac- 
tice, the  royal  pupils  were  all  experts  in  the  depart- 
ments they  had  chosen.  Bhima,  the  young  man  of 
the  voracious  appetite,  applied  his  herculean  strength 
to  the  dexterous  use  of  the  club,  Nakula  was  master 
of  the  art  of  taming  and  managing  horses,  and  the 
others  had  been  taught  to  handle  skilfully  the  sword 
and  spear. 

Drona  then  approached  his  royal  patron  and  said  to 
him,  “Your  own  sons  and  the  sons  of  your  brother 
Pandu  are  now  expert  in  the  use  of  weapons,  and  they 

choose,  and  she  requested  that  she  might  become  the  mother  of  a hundred 
sons.  Accordingly  she  gave  birth  to  a lump  of  flesh,  which  the  sage  divided 
into  a hundred  and  one  small  pieces,  placing  each  piece  in  a jar,  where 
they  ultimately  became  children. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


285 


are  prepared  to  meet  any  foe  upon  the  battle-field.” 
The  Malm-raja  replied,  “ Let  a place  be  prepared  on 
the  great  plain  outside  the  city  where  your  pupils  may 
engage  in  a mock  combat  and  display  their  skill  before 
all  the  chiefs  and  the  people  of  the  raj.”  So  Drona 
ordered  that  preparations  be  made  for  a great  tourna- 
ment without  the  city,  and  had  the  vast  space  assigned 
for  the  sport  protected  by  barriers.  On  one  side  of 
the  ground  galleries  were  built  for  the  Malm-raja  and 
his  chieftains ; on  the  other  were  placed  galleries  for 
all  the  ladies  of  the  royal  house  of  Hastinapur. 

The  morning  of  the  tournament  dawned  without 
clouds.  The  great  trees  in  the  amphitheater  stood 
like  tall  columns  supporting  the  heavy  roof  of  foliage 
above  them,  and  were  decorated  with  bright  flags. 
Long  garlands  of  rich  tropical  flowers  were  festooned 
around  the  galleries,  loading  the  air  with  their  fragrant 
breath.  At  an  early  hour  the  populace  from  all  parts 
of  the  raj  filled  the  great  plain,  pressing  as  closely  as 
possible  around  the  barriers  of  the  amphitheater. 
Soon  the  blind  raja  was  led  in  and  escorted  to  his 
place  on  a throne  which  had  been  erected  for  him  and 
covered  with  the  fairest  blossoms  of  the  land.  At  his 
right  hand  sat  his  faithful  uncle,  Bhishma,  who  man- 
aged the  affairs  of  the  raj  for  the  king,  who  had  been 
his  care  from  childhood.  On  the  left  of  the  Malm-raja 
sat  Yidura,  his  half-brother,  who  was  appointed  to  ex- 
plain to  him  the  scenes  that  took  place  on  the  plain 
below  them.  The  ladies  of  the  royal  house  occupied 
the  other  galleries,  which  were  bright  with  the  sheen 
of  silken  garments  and  the  radiant  light  of  jewels 
flashing  amidst  the  flowers.  But  the  most  highly 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


286 

favored  of  the  ladies  were  Gandharl,  the  mother  of  the 
Kauravas,  and  KuntI,  the  mother  of  the  Pandavas. 
Their  womanly  hearts  were  throbbing  with  joyous  an- 
ticipation over  the  gallant  deeds  of  their  princely  sons, 
and  they  waited  anxiously  for  the  opening  of  the  tour- 
nament. 

When  all  was  ready  Drona,  the  preceptor,  entered 
the  arena  clad  in  garments  of  the  purest  white  and 
offered  the  incense  of  praise  to  their  gods.  Then  came 
the  princes  lightly  girded  for  exercise  and  bearing 
their  bows  in  their  hands.  Bowing  low  at  the  feet  of 
their  preceptor  they  awaited  his  commands.  As  they 
stood  there  in  the  glory  of  their  young  manhood,  a 
loud  cheer  went  up  from  the  multitude,  for  their 
training  had  developed  every  muscle,  and  their  fine 
physiques  and  princely  bearing  won  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  Their  skill  was  tested  in  shooting  arrows — first 
on  foot ; then  galloping  around  the  amphitheater  on 
horses  they  still  struck  the  mark  with  wondrous  pre- 
cision. Afterward  they  exhibited  their  archery  from 
chariots  or  the  backs  of  elephants,  always  winning  loud 
huzzas  from  the  spectators.  Then  there  were  brilliant 
mock  fights  with  the  sword  and  buckler. 

Drona  at  last  called  upon  his  favorite  pupil,  Arjuna, 
and  the  young  chieftain  stepped  forth  as  stalwart  and 
handsome  as  one  of  the  gods.  He  entered  the  arena 
clad  in  golden  mail  and  gracefully  bearing  in  his  hand 
a bow  inlaid  with  pearl.  The  multitude  greeted  him 
as  another  Indra,  and  the  glad  heart  of  his  mother 
who  sat  in  the  gallery  above  him  throbbed  with  exul- 
tation. There  had  been  set  up  the  figure  of  an  iron 
boar,  and  Arjuna  sent  five  arrows  into  its  mouth  at 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAH A-BHARATA. 


287 

one  bending  of  the  bow.  Then  mounting  his  chariot 
he  was  driven  swiftly  along,  while  he  shot  his  arrows 
with  such  marvelous  rapidity  and  dexterity  as  to  be- 
wilder the  cheering  spectators.  In  his  sword-play  the 
weapon  flashed  so  rapidly  in  the  sun  that  men  fancied 
the  lightnings  were  playing  around  him.  Then  arm- 
ing himself  with  a noose,  he  threw  it  so  dexter- 
ously that  every  horse  or  deer  at  which  it  was  hurled 
was  brought  down.  At  last,  having  finished  his  exer- 
cises, he  gracefully  saluted  his  preceptor,  who  em- 
braced him  amidst  the  wild  applause  of  the  multitude. 

The  Pandavas,  of  course,  had  been  exulting  in  the 
triumph  of  their  brother;  but  Duryodhana  was  wild 
with  jealous  rage,  and  when  they  came  to  the  exercise 
of  clubs  the  fighting  became  real,  and  the  scene  was 
terrible.  These  young  athletes  gave  a practical  exhi- 
bition of  their  envy  and  jealousy,  and  the  blood  flowed 
freely  on  both  sides.  At  one  end  of  the  great  arena 
Duryodhana  engaged  with  Bhlma,  and  the  contestants 
rushed  furiously  upon  each  other. 

“With  ponderous  mace  they  waged  the  daring  fight. 
As  for  a tender  mate  two  rival  elephants 
Engage  with  frantic  fury,  so  the  youths 
Encountered,  and  amidst  the  rapid  sphere 
Of  fire  their  whirling  weapons  clashing  wove 
Their  persons  vanished  from  the  anxious  eye. 

Still  more  and  more  incensed  their  combat  grew. 

And  life  hung  doubtful  on  the  desperate  conflict ; 
With  awe  the  crowd  beheld  the  fierce  encounter 
And  amidst  hope  and  fear  suspended  tossed. 

Like  ocean  shaken  by  conflicting  winds.” 


288 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  glad  cheers  of  the  multitude  gave  way  to  cries 
of  horror,  but  some  of  the  spectators  caught  the  spirit 
of  the  fray  and  ran  wildly  to  and  fro,  shouting  each  for 
his  favorite  in  the  fight.  Drona  sent  his  son  to  separate 
the  combatants,  but  no  one  heeded  him ; then  Drona 
hastened  to  them,  but  his  words  had  no  influence,  and 
he  was  compelled  to  lay  hands  upon  them  and  separate 
them  by  main  force,  and  send  them  to  their  home. 
The  multitude  went  away  in  sorrow ; the  flowers 
drooped  and  wilted  in  sadness,  and  the  loving  mothers 
grieved  in  solitude,  for  blood  had  been  shed  in  anger. 
This  tournament  which  had  opened  so  joyously  was  the 
beginning  of  those  long  feuds  and  terrible  contests 
which  stained  for  many  years  the  escutcheon  of  the 
noble  house  of  Bharata. 

The  blind  king,  thinking  to  dispel  the  ill  will  be- 
tween the  two  factions,  at  last  divided  his  raj  and  gave 
to  the  Pandavas  the  most  distant  portion  of  it.  So 
the  Pandavas  took  leave  of  their  beloved  preceptor, 
Drona,  and  bidding  farewell  to  their  kindred  took  their 
mother  with  them  and  went  into  a strange  land.  On 
the  banks  of  the  beautiful  river,  Jumna,  they  built  a 
fort  and  collected  their  subjects  together  under  the 
rule  of  the  eldest  brother  Yudhi-shthira.  The  new 
raja  soon  won  the  hearts  of  his  people  by  his  wisdom 
and  kindness.  He  promptly  punished  evil-doers,  and 
those  who  had  been  wronged  went  to  him  for  aid,  as 
children  go  to  a loving  father.  His  fame  as  a wise 
and  beneficent  ruler  extended  throughout  India,  and  he 
built  a fair  city  called  Indra-prastha.  But  before  it 
was  finished  the  brothers  attended  the  Svayamvara  of 
the  princess  Draupadi,  which  proved  to  be  one  of  the 
most  important  events  of  their  lives. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA, 


289 


THE  SVAYAmVARA. 

One  of  the  institutions  of  India  in  early  times 
was  the  Svayamvara ; it  resembled  the  tournament 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  wherein  the  victor  was  crowned 
with  the  laurel  wreath  by  the  Queen  of  Love  and 
Beauty.  But  in  the  Hindu  contests  the  prize  was  a 
lovely  bride — usually  the  daughter  of  a royal  house. 

The  raja  Draupada,  who  reigned  over  the  kingdom 
of  Pane  ala,  was  blessed  with  a beautiful  daughter. 
The  fair  princess  was  as  radiant  and  graceful  as  if  she 
were  descended  from  the  gods.  Her  dark  eyes  beamed 
with  intelligence,  and  her  cheeks  glowed  with  the  rich 
crimson  blood  of  her  race.  The  fame  of  her  love- 
liness spread  even  beyond  that  of  her  father’s  name, 
and  the  rajas  of  the  neighboring  kingdom  came  to  ask 
her  hand  in  marriage.  But  her  proud  father  deter- 
mined that  no  ordinary  ruler  should  win  his  beautiful 
solitaire  ; therefore,  when  she  came  to  a marriageable 
age  he  announced  a great  Svayamvara,  in  which  the 
neighboring  rajas  were  invited  to  take  part,  and  an- 
nounced that  the  prince  who  performed  the  greatest 
feats  of  archery  should  be  rewarded  with  the  lady’s 
hand.  It  was  said  that  all  the  rajas  from  the  four 
quarters  of  the  earth  would  be  present  to  compete  for 
the  hand  of  the  lovely  princess  Draupadl.  The  five 
Pandavas  had  been  greatly  interested  in  the  accounts 
they  had  heard  of  the  lady’s  beauty  and  decided  to 
join  the  illustrious  throng  of  competitors  ; but  they  dis- 
guised themselves  as  Brahmans  and  appeared  upon  the 
brilliant  scene  in  the  garments  of  the  priesthood. 
"When  they  reached  the  city  they  found  a vast  number 


290 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


of  rajas  encamped  there  with  their  hosts  of  troops  and 
attendants,  and  a multitude  of  horses  and  elephants. 
There  were  also  Brahmans.,  Kshatriyas,  traveling  mer- 
chants, and  a great  throng  of  spectators. 

Outside  of  the  city  a great  plain  had  been  enclosed 
with  barriers  and  supplied  with  glittering  pavilions  for 
the  benefit  of  the  most  distinguished  guests,  and  the 
long  galleries  were  draped  with  bright  flags  and  decor- 
ated with  masses  of  flowers.  At  one  end  of  the  amphi- 
theater stood  a tall  pole  which  upheld  a golden  fish, 
and  just  below  the  fish  a large  wheel  was  rapidly  re- 
volving, so  that  any  arrow  striking  the  fish  must  first 
pass  through  the  spaces  in  the  revolving  wheel. 

The  rule  of  the  Svayaravara  was  that  whoever  dis- 
charged an  arrow  through  the  wheel  at  the  first  shot 
and  struck  the  eye  of  the  golden  fish  should  be  the 
husband  of  the  princess  DraupadT. 

The  assembled  throng  spent  many  days  in  sporting 
and  feasting  before  the  time  arrived  for  the  contest, 
but  at  last  the  memorable  morning  dawned  upon  the 
fair  city  of  Kampilya. 

At  the  rising  of  the  sun  the  whole  city  was  awak- 
ened by  the  joyous  strains  of  martial  music.  At  an 
early  hour  the  great  galleries  and  vast  pavilions  of  the 
amphitheater  were  thronged  with  distinguished  guests, 
while  the  multitude  gathered  in  dense  masses  around 
the  inclosure. 

“ Without  the  barriers  pressed  the  countless  crowd. 
Skirting  the  distance  multitudes  beheld 
The  field  from  golden  lattices,  or  thronged 
The  high  housetops,  whose  towering  summits  touched 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  HAHA-BHARATA. 


291 


The  clouds,  and  like  a mountain  of  the  gods 
The  sparkling  peaks  streamed  radiant  through  the  air. 
A thousand  trumpets  brayed,  and  slow  the  breeze 
With  incense  laden  wafted  perfume  round.” 

The  well-armed  troops  of  the  raja  maintained  per- 
fect order,  and  the  people  were  entertained  with  the 
preliminary  exercises  of  dancers,  jugglers,  actors,  ath- 
letes, wrestlers,  and  swordsmen. 

Delicate  refreshments  were  served  to  the  guests  and 
cup-bearers  sprinkled  the  throng  with  the  choicest 
perfumes  of  the  East.  At  last  the  beautiful  princess 
was  led  to  the  floral  throne  in  the  arena,  the  soft  sheen 
of  her  rich  garments  mingling  with  the  blaze  of  her 
jewels.  But  richer  than  her  costly  robes  was  the  crim- 
son of  her  lips,  and  brighter  than  her  gems  was  the 
light  of  her  beautiful  eyes,  as  she  held  in  one  graceful 
hand  the  garland  of  flowers  destined  for  the  victor. 
Low  murmurs  of  admiration  rang  through  the  vast 
throng,  and  choirs  of  Brahmans  chanted  her  praises  in 
softly  modulated  notes.  In  the  deep  silence  that  fol- 
lowed the  strains  of  the  song  the  brother  of  the 
princess  announced  that  lie  who  sent  the  arrow  through 
the  flying  wheel  and  struck  the  eye  of  the  golden  fish 
should  have  the  princess  for  his  wife,  and  he  invited 
the  rajas  and  great  chieftains  who  were  present  to 
come  forward  and  try  their  skill. 

“Quick  from  their  gorgeous  thrones  the  kings  uprose. 
Descending  to  the  conflict,  and  around 
The  lovely  DraupadI  contending  pressed, 

Like  the  bright  gods  round  Siva’s  mountain  bride. 
Love  lodged  his  viewless  arrows  in  their  hearts, 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


And  jealous  hatred  swelled  their  haughty  minds. 

Each  on  his  rivals  bent  a lowering  glance, 

And,  friends  till  now,  they  met  as  deadliest  foes.” 

The  rajas  looked  in  dismay  at  the  golden  fish  beyond 
the  flying  wheel  and  then  at  the  huge  bow  and  heavy 
arrow  that  was  to  be  used.  The  more  prudent  suitors 
retired  from  the  field,  but  at  last  one  raja  who  was 
braver  than  the  others  stepped  forward  and  lifting  the 
bow  tried  to  bend  it,  but  failed  in  the  attempt  and 
retired  at  last  amidst  the  derisive  laughter  of  the  spec- 
tators. One  after  another  the  great  rajas  then  made 
the  attempt,  but  no  one  of  them  succeeded. 

“ No  hand  the  stubborn  bow  could  bend — they  strained 
Fruitless  each  nerve,  and  many  on  the  field 
Recumbent  fell,  whilst  laughter  pealed  around. 

In  vain  they  cast  aside  their  royal  robes 
And  diamond  chains  and  glittering  diadems. 

And  with  unfettered  arm  and  ample  chest 
Put  forth  their  fullest  strength — the  bow  defied 
Each  chief,  nor  left  the  hope  he  might  succeed.” 

At  last  a young  man  of  princely  bearing,  wearing 
the  garb  of  a priest,  came  forward.  As  he  lifted  the 
great  bow  the  eyes  of  the  princess  brightened,  for  she 
had  seen  his  handsome  face  and  admired  his  godlike 
form. 

A cry  of  astonishment  rang  through  the  assembly 
upon  seeing  a Brahman  enter  the  competitive  list  at 
a Svayamvara.  The  Brahmans  feared  that  such  an 
act  would  offend  the  rajas  so  that  they  would  not  be- 
stow the  customary  gifts,  and  they  pleaded  with  him 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


293 


to  withdraw  from  the  contest.  But  the  new  competi- 
tor was  Arjuna,  the  hero  of  the  Pandavas,  and  heed- 
less alike  of  praise  or  blame 

“He  grasped  the  ponderous  weapon  in  his  hand 
And  with  one  vigorous  effort  braced  the  string. 
Quickly  the  shafts  were  aimed ; swiftly  they  flew ; 
The  mark  fell  pierced  ; a shout  of  victory 
Rang  through  the  vast  arena ; from  the  sky 
Garlands  of  flowers  crowned  the  hero’s  head. 

Ten  thousand  fluttering  scarfs  waved  in  the  air. 

And  drum  and  trumpet  sounded  forth  his  triumph.”1 

The  beautiful  princess  came  gladly  forward  and 
crowned  the  handsome  victor  with  the  garland  she 
held  in  her  hand,  and  permitted  him  to  lead  her  away, 
according  to  the  rules  of  the  Svayamvara.  The  cheer- 
ing of  the  multitude,  however,  was  quickly  drowned 
by  the  voices  of  discontent  that  came  from  the  dis- 
comfited rajas.  “ Is  raja  Draupada  to  invite  us  to  a 
Svayamvara  and  then  give  his  daughter  to  a Brah- 
man?” they  cried.  “Down  with  the  guilty  race  of 
Draupada!”  and  they  gathered  angrily  around  the 
king  with  naked  swords  and  threatened  to  burn  the 
princess  alive  unless  she  chose  a Kshatriya  for  a hus- 
band. But  at  the  first  onset  upon  the  raja  Draupada 
they  were  met  by  the  Pandavas.  The  herculean  Bhima 
tore  up  a tree,  using  it  effectively  as  a club.  Arjuna, 
too,  rushed  upon  his  foes  like  a wild  elephant,  and 

i Williams’  trails.  This  description  reminds  one  of  the  scene  in  the 
Odyssey  where  Ulysses 

“Then  notched  the  shaft,  released,  and  gave  it  wing  ; 

The  whizzing  arrow  vanished  from  the  string, 

Sung  on  direct,  and  threaded  every  ring.”  (Book  21.) 


294 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  royal  suitors,  vanquished  in  archery  and  conquered 
in  fight,  were  glad  to  leave  the  fair  princess  in  the 
hands  of  the  gallant  youth  who  had  fairly  won  her 
and  retire  from  the  field  in  sullen  anger. 

THE  HOME-COMING. 

At  evening  the  Pandavas  arrived  at  their  home,  ac- 
companied by  Arjuna’s  beautiful  prize,  and  one  of  the 
sons  hastened  to  his  mother’s  apartment  exclaiming, 
“We  have  made  a fine  acquisition  to-day.”  The  moth- 
er supposing  they  had  brought  home  some  trophies  of 
war  answered,  “Share  it  equally  among  yourselves,  my 
sons.”  Then  Yudhi-shthira  exclaimed,  “Oh,  mother, 
what  have  you  said  ? Arjuna  has  to-day  won  a beau- 
tiful damsel  at  the  Svayamvara.”  Arjuna  led  the  fair 
princess  into  his  mother’s  presence,  but  the  whole 
family  were  in  grievous  trouble  ; for  the  words  of  a 
parent  thus  spoken  could  not  be  set  aside  without 
bringing  sad  misfortune.  The  five  brothers,  it  is  true, 
were  all  in  love  with  Draupadi,  but  Yudhi-shthira 
said  to  Arjuna,  “ You  have  fairly  won  her,  and  we  will 
marry  her  to  you  according  to  law.”  Arjuna  mod- 
estly replied,  “You  are  the  eldest  brother;  to  you  be- 
long the  trophies  of  war,  and  this  damsel  is  worthy 
of  being  espoused  by  you.” 

Then  the  eldest  brother  said,  “It  is  the  raja  Drau- 
pada  who  has  the  disposal  of  his  own  daughter,  and 
we  will  leave  the  matter  to  him.” 

DRAUPADI  MARRIES  FIVE  HUSBANDS. 

In  the  meantime,  the  raja  had  been  greatly  troubled 
with  the  thought  that  his  daughter  had  been  won  by 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


295 


a Brahman ; but  learning  that  the  young  men  were 
the  sons  of  the  raja  Pandu,  he  was  much  pleased 
with  the  thought  of  being  allied  to  the  royal  house  of 
Bharata.  He  therefore  invited  the  Pandava  princes  to 
a great  feast,  and  after  the  festivities  were  over  he 
asked  Yudhi-shthira  if  it  was  his  will  as  the  elder 
brother  of  the  family  that  the  princess  should  be  mar- 
ried to  Arjuna,  who  had  fairly  won  her  at  the  Svay- 
awvara.  The  young  prince  answered  that  he  thought 
it  would  be  proper  to  ask  the  counsel  of  the  great  sage 
Vyasa. 

The  sage  being  summoned  to  the  council  had  the 
matter  presented  to  him,  whereupon  he  gravely  re- 
plied, “ Many  years  ago  there  lived  a maiden  lady  who 
besought  the  gods  to  send  her  a good  husband,  and  at 
last  the  god  Siva  ayipeared  to  her  and  announced  that 
she  could  have  no  husband  in  that  life,  but  in  her 
next  transmigration  she  should  have  five  husbands. 
But  the  lady  replied,  ‘ I do  not  want  five  husbands, 
I want  only  one/  ‘I  cannot  help  it/  answered  Siva, 
‘you  have  petitioned  me  five  different  times  for  a 
good  husband,  and  each  time  your  petition  has  been 
answered  by  a decree  that  you  should  have  one  hus- 
band, therefore  in  the  next  life  you  shall  have  five  good 
husbands/  Time  passed  on  and  the  maiden  lady  died, 
but  only  to  be  born  again  as  DraupadI,  the  beautiful 
Hindu  princess,  who  is  the  only  daughter  of  the  raja 
Draupada.  The  gods  have  therefore  decreed  that  the 
princess  shall  wed  all  of  the  brothers.” 

Yudhi-shthira  replied,  “ What  Vyasa  has  said  is  just, 
and,  moreover,  we  hold  our  mother’s  word  to  be  right 
and  true  when  she  commanded  that  we  should  all 


296 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


share  the  prize  which  Arjuna  had  won.”  The  raja 
then  gave  his  consent  to  this  strange  union.  The 
princess  was  therefore  arrayed  in  the  richest  fabrics  of 
the  Eastern  looms,  and  adorned  with  many  jewels. 
She  was  first  married  to  the  eldest  brother  and  then  to 
each  of  the  others  in  the  order  of  their  ages.1  The 
ceremony  was  celebrated  with  all  the  pomp  and  mag- 
nificence pertaining  to  royalty,  and  both  families  were 
greatly  strengthened  by  the  alliance. 

THE  COUNCILS  OF  WAR. 

A long  mythical  account  is  given  of  the  feuds  and 
adventures  of  the  following  years.  Yudhi-shthira  was 
invited  to  visit  the  Kauravas,  and  while  there  played 
dice  with  an  accomplished  gambler  and  lost  all  of  his 
wealth,  his  kingdom,  his  brothers,  his  wife,  and  finally 
bis  own  liberty.  Draupadi  was  finally  restored  to  them, 
but  by  the  terms  of  the  game  they  were  all  banished 
to  the  jungle  for  a series  of  years.  Their  exploits  and 
adventures  are  interminable,  even  the  stories  told  by 
them  during  their  exile  being  given ; a part  of  the 
Ram  ay  ana  is  recited  ; the  story  of  the  deluge  as  found 
in  the  Satapatha-brahmana  (see  page  81)  is  also  re- 
peated and  many  other  digressions  are  made. 

After  the  years  of  their  banishment  had  expired,  a 
council  of  princes  was  called  by  Virata  and  a consul- 

1 Polyandry  is  still  practiced  among  the  hill-tribes  in  the  Himalaya  range 
near  Simla;  it  also  prevails  among  the  Todas  and  the  Nayar  tribes  in  Mala- 
bar, and  among  some  of  the  tribes  of  the  Pacific  islands,  Africa  and  Aus- 
tralia. Caesar  charges  the  ancient  Britons  with  the  same  practice.  (See  De 
Bello  Gallico,  V,  14.) 

The  custom  of  polyandry  must  also  have  existed  in  very  early  times 
among  the  Vedic  Aryans,  there  being  a hymn  in  the  Rig-veda  which  repre- 
sents a maiden  as  the  prize  of  a chariot  race,  which  was  won  by  the  two 
Asvins.  (See  R.-v.,  Mand.  I,  Hymn  119,  Verse  5.) 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


297 


tation  was  held  as  to  what  course  the  Pandavas  ought 
to  pursue.  Having  honorably  complied  with  their 
agreement,  they  were  entitled  to  their  portion  of  the  raj, 
which  had  been  held  during  their  exile  by  the  Kaura- 
vas,  but  Duryodhana,  who  had  become  the  virtual 
master  of  his  blind  and  aged  father,  refused  to  give 
it  up. 

To  this  council  Krishna  was  invited also  their 
father-in-law,  the  raja  Draupada,  and  indeed  all  the 
allies  of  the  Pandavas.  The  courtly  company  was 
gathered  in  the  magnificent  council  hall  of  raja 
Virata,  whose  daughter  had  just  been  wedded  to  the 
son  of  Arjuna.  The  great  hall  was  transformed  into 
a floral  bower,  and  the  rich  perfume  of  tropical  blos- 
soms filled  the  gorgeous  room. 

When  all  the  chieftains  were  seated,  the  situation 
was  freely  discussed,  and  it  was  decided  to  send  the 
family  priest  of  raja  Draupada  to  Hastinapur  as  a 
messenger  of  peace,  demanding,  however,  that  the 
Kauravas  make  a fair  treaty  and  restore  to  the  Pan- 
davas their  own  territory.  Having  little  faith  in  the 
success  of  their  ambassador,  the  Pandavas  and  their 
allies  proposed  to  make  war  in  case  of  a refusal. 

But  even  before  the  priest  had  started,  Duryodhana 
,had  determined  to  go  to  war  rather  than  relinquish 
his  ill-gotten  territory.  With  this  purpose  in  view 
he  visited  Krishna,  “ the  rude  and  amorous  warrior  of 
the  Yadava  tribe,”  in  order  to  gain  his  assistance. 
Arriving  at  his  residence,  he  was  told  that  Krishna 

i J.  Talboys  Wheeler  says,  “ The  great  mass  of  details  which  associate 
him  (Krishna)  with  the  Pandavas  bears  every  trace  of  being  a series  of 
mythical  interpolations  of  the  Brahmanical  compilers,  who  sought  to  deify 
the  hero.”  (Hist,  of  Ind.,  Yol.  I,  p.  246.) 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


was  asleep,  but  the  haughty  raja  of  the  provinces  did 
not  stand  upon  courtesy  ; entering  Krishna’s  sleeping 
room  he  took  a seat  at  the  head  of  his  bed  to  await  his 
awakening.  Before  the  chief  of  the  tribe  awoke, 
however,  Arjuna  entered  the  room  with  the  same  ob- 
ject in  view,  modestly  taking  his  seat  at  the  foot  of 
the  bed.  On  awakening,  therefore,  the  eyes  of  Krish- 
na rested  first  on  Arjuna.  But  Duryodhana  pressed 
his  own  claim  as  being  paramount,  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  he  who  first  entered  the  room.  At  last 
Krishna  said  to  them,  “ I will  put  myself  alone  into 
one  scale  and  all  the  warriors  of  my  army  into  the 
other,  and  you  can  choose  between  the  two ; but  if 
you  choose  me,  remember  I shall  not  fight,  though  I 
will  give  counsel.”  Arjuna  at  once  decided  to  take 
Krishna  alone,  and  Duryodhana  was  pleased  to  receive 
all  the  warriors  of  Krishna’s  army,  though  the  chief 
himself  Avas  on  the  side  of  the  foe.1  Duryodhana  re- 
turned to  Hastinapur  in  time  to  receive  the  Brahman 
envoy  from  raja  Draupada. 

The  blind  Maha-raja  called  a council  to  listen  to 
the  message,  and  when  the  chieftains  were  gathered 
together  the  Brahman  spoke  as  follows:  “An  envoy 

is  the  tongue  of  the  party  by  whom  he  is  sent,  and 
if  he  fails  in  the  discharge  of  his  trust,  he  is  guilty  of 
an  act  of  treachery.  Have  I,  therefore,  your  permis- 
sion to  repeat  the  message  sent  by  the  Pandavas  ? ” 
The  assembled  chieftains  answered  with  one  accord, 

i Wheeler  points  out  the  impossibility  of  any  such  interview  taking  place, 
ilastinapur  being  seven  hundred  miles  in  a direct  line  from  Dvaraka,  and 
shows  the  mythical  character  of  the  interpolation,  which  was  evidently  in- 
serted to  promote  “ the  worship  of  Krishna  as  a deity.’’  (Hist,  of  Ind.,  Vol.  I, 
pp.  246-348.) 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  299 

“ Speak  plainly  the  words  of  the  Pandavas,  without 
extenuation  and  without  aggravation.”  Then  said  the 
Brahman,  “The  Pandavas  send  their  salutations  and 
speak  thus  : ‘ Baja  Dhrita-rashtra  and  raja  Pandu  were 

brothers,  as  all  men  know.  Why  then  should  the  sons 
of  Dhrita-rashtra  inherit  the  whole  raj,  while  the  sons 
of  Pandu  are  shut  out  ? You,  Duryodhana,  from  the 
time  of  your  childhood  up  to  this  day  have  taken 
every  opportunity  to  injure  us.  You  caused  false  dice 
to  be  made  and  then  invited  us  to  a gambling  match ; 
by  foul  play  you  dispossessed  us  of  all  we  had  and 
compelled  us  to  wander  like  vagabonds  for  twelve  years. 
We  have  fulfilled  the  conditions,  and  if  you  now  re- 
store to  us  our  rightful  share  of  the  raj,  we  are  ready 
to  forget  the  wrongs  we  have  endured ; but  if  you  re- 
ject our  rightful  claims,  the  blood  of  all  the  slain  will 
be  upon  your  head,  and  rest  assured  that  Arjuna  alone 
will  devour  your  armies  as  a fowl  devours  grain.  ’ ” 

Bhlshma  replied  in  effect:  “All  you  have  said  may 

be  just  and  reasonable,  but  in  boasting  of  the  valor  of 
Arjuna  you  have  said  too  much.  He  may  indeed  be 
worthy  of  all  your  praises,  but  I warn  you  not  to  repeat 
them  in  our  presence.” 

The  fiery  Karna  then  bounded  to  his  feet  and  re- 
buked the  aged  Bhlshma  for  admitting  that  there  was 
anything  reasonable  in  the  demands  of  the  Pandavas, 
and  declared  that  not  a foot  of  land  would  be  yielded 
up.  There  were  animated  discussions  of  both  sides  of 
the  question,  and  a number  of  envoys  were  sent  to  and 
fro  between  the  contending  parties.  But  Duryodhana 
remained  obdurate,  and  disdaining  the  counsel  of  his 
aged  father  furiously  demanded  war,  and  at  the 


300 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


final  council  closed  a defiant  speech  with  the  words  : 
“ What,  then,  are  all  the  beggarly  Pandavas  that  yon 
should  think  to  frighten  me  with  them  ? Never  will 
I stoop  and  humble  myself  to  them,  say  what  you 
will.” 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  GREAT  WAR. 

Duryodhana  called  another  council  of  war  immedi- 
ately after  the  departure  of  the  last  envoy  of  the  Pan- 
davas, and  required  the  members  of  his  council  to 
make  a solemn  covenant  with  him  that  they  would 
never  yield  to  the  foe,  but  would  fight  as  long  as  life 
lasted.  He  then  summoned  his  whole  army  and 
marched  to  the  plain  of  Kuru-kshetra,'  where  he  fired 
their  hearts  with  vindictive  speeches,  and  drew  up  his 
battle  line  with  barbaric  pomp  and  magnificence.  He 
stationed  his  army  behind  a beautiful  lake  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  plain,  and  dug  a dee])  trench  on  the  flank 
of  His  troops,  fortifying  it  with  towers,  upon  which  he 
placed  great  jars  filled  with  poisonous  serpents  and 
scorpions,  and  reservoirs  of  burning  sand  and  boiling 
oil.  The  venerable  Bhishma  was  enthroned  with  elab- 
orate ceremonies  as  the  generalissimo  of  all  his  armies, 
and  was  brought  into  the  field  wearing  the  robes  of 
royalty,  with  the  sacred  canopy  held  over  his  head. 

The  Pandavas  also  marshalled  their  forces,  choosing 
for  their  commander-in-chief  Dhrishta-dyumna,  the 
brother  of  their  wife  DraupadI,  and  marched  with 

t In  modern  times,  this  ]>lain  (now  called  Panipat)  is  celebrated  as  having 
been  the  scene  of  three  decisive  battles  which  sealed  the  fate  of  upper  India: 
in  1526  when  Baber  on  his  invasion  of  India  completely  defeated  the  impe- 
rial forces;  in  1556  when  his  grandson,  Akbar,  on  the  same  battle-field  con- 
quered Hemu,  the  Hindu  commander,  and  finally  on  the  7th  of  January,  in 
1761,  when  the  sovereign  of  Cabul  shattered  the  unity  of  the  Mahratta  power, 
thereby  preparing  the  way  for  British  rule. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAH  A-BHARATA. 


301 


strains  of  martial  music  to  the  beautiful  plain,  as  yet 
unstained  with  blood.  They  were  drawn  up  in  solid 
phalanxes  on  the  western  side  of  the  clear  waters  of 
the  lake,  while  the  hosts  of  the  Kauravas  were  en- 
camped upon  the  eastern  shore.  The  tropical  sun 
looked  down  upon  the  gay  trappings  of  horses  and 
men,  upon  glittering  spears  and  burnished  shields. 
The  richly  caparisoned  elephants  were  mounted  by 
chieftains  clad  in  brilliant  armor  and  holding  conch 
shells,  upon  which  they  sounded  the  signal  of  advance. 
Beside  the  camp  of  the  Pandavas  the  river  Sara-swati 
flowed  gently  along  between  banks  bordered  with 
coroneted  palms,  while  the  many-colored  lotuses  rising 
above  its  bosom  burdened  the  air  with  their  fragrance. 

THE  CHALLENGE  GIVEN  AND  ACCEPTED. 

When  the  troops  on  both  sides  were  ready  for  bat- 
tle, Duryodhana  called  one  of  his  kinsmen  and  ordered 
him  to  carry  a challenge  into  the  other  camp.  He  was 
received  by  the  Pandavas  according  to  the  courtesies 
of  war,  and  addressed  them  as  follows  : “ You  have 

sworn,  oh,  Pandavas,  that  when  your  exile  was  ended 
you  would  wage  a war  against  us,  and  the  time  has 
come  for  you  to  fulfill  your  oath.  You  have  been 
deprived  of  your  raj  ; your  wife  DraupadI  has  been 
grievously  insulted,  and  you  have  been  driven  into 
exile.  Why  then  do  you  sit  unconcerned  when  you 
ought  to  rush  into  battle  with  your  hearts  on  fire  ? 

“ Where  is  the  sleepy  Bhlma,  who  threatened  to 
drink  the  blood  of  Duhsasana,  who  waits  for  him  here  ? 
We  are  assured  that  whoever  comes  out  to  battle 
against  us,  be  he  man  or  elephant,  will  never  escape  with 


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his  life,  and  though  you  are  our  brethren,  you  know  no 
more  of  our  power  than  the  frog  who  lives  in  a river 
knows  of  the  caves  beneath  it.  In  order  to  obtain  a 
raj,  men  should  have  good  fortune  as  well  as  strength. 
Of  what  use  was  the  bow  of  Arjuna  at  the  gambling 
match  where  you  staked  yourselves  to  become  our 
slaves  ? ” 

This  sjieech  elicited  an  angry  response  and  eager 
acceptance ; but  before  the  two  armies  were  hurled 
against  each  other  the  following  rules  of  warfare  were 
agreed  upon  : 

1.  There  shall  be  no  strategy  or  treachery. 

2.  When  we  are  not  fighting  there  may  be  free  and 
friendly  intercourse  between  the  two  camps. 

3.  The  fugitives,  the  suppliants,  and  the  charioteers 
shall  not  be  slain. 

4.  Horsemen  shall  fight  only  with  horsemen  and 
footmen  with  footmen. 

5.  When  warriors  are  fighting  with  words  only,  no 
one  shall  take  up  arms  against  them. 

0.  No  man  shall  take  up  arms  against  another  with- 
out giving  him  warning. 

7.  When  two  combatants  are  engaged  with  each 
other  no  third  man  shall  inteifere.1 

The  rules  of  warfare  being  decided  upon,  night 
came  down  upon  the  plain  and  wrapped  the  expectant 
armies  in  a sleep  which  was  lighted  by  dreams  of  vic- 
tory. But  when  the  moon  came  out  in  the  troubled 

i These  peculiar  rules  of  warfare  are  evidently  an  interpolation  of  later 
date.  The  great  war  was  not  fought  upon  these  principles,  and  they  are 
at  variance  with  the  barbarous  character  of  those  times,  as  well  as  with 
the  fierce  hatred  which  prevailed  between  the  parties.  It  is  probable, 
therefore,  that  the  first  onset  between  the  two  armies  took  place  imme- 
diately after  the  insulting  challenge  of  Duryodhana  had  been  accepted. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHABATA. 


303 


sky  her  pale  face  was  stained  with  blood,  and  the  low 
roll  of  distant  thunder  was  heard.  Dark  clouds  wept 
over  the  coming  contest,  and  their  tears  were  tears  of 
blood. 

But  the  fearful  omens  vanished  before  the  rays  of 
the  morning  sun.  Drums  were  beaten,  trumpets  and 
war  shells  were  sounded,  and  gorgeous  banners  waved 
upon  the  air.  The  rajas  on  either  side  wore  golden 
armor  and  stood  in  their  chariots  radiant  with  the 
gems  which  gleamed  on  their  hands  or  flashed  in  the 
setting  of  their  golden  mail.  On  the  one  side  the 
troops  were  drawn  up  in  the  form  of  a crescent,  while 
on  the  other  they  stood  awaiting  the  battle  in  the 
shape  of  an  enormous  bird  with  outstretched  wings. 
Elephants,  cavalry,  and  endless  hosts  of  infantry1 
swayed  to  and  fro  like  the  rushing  waves  of  a bound- 
less sea.  The  chieftains  arranged  their  magical  arrows 
in  their  quivers,  and  everything  was  ready  for  the 
attack. 

lit  is  claimed  that  princes  from  the  remotest  parts  of  India  were  gath- 
ered under  these  banners.  The  troops  employed  are  said  to  have  num- 
bered millions,  billions,  trillions,  and  even  more  reckless  figures  are  ad- 
vanced. If  all  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  earth  were  multiplied  a 
thousand  times  over  they  would  still  fall  short  of  the  fabulous  numbers 
which  the  Hindus  claim  were  engaged  in  this  “ Great  War.”  Even  the 
elephants  and  chariots  are  counted  by  tens  of  millions.  Chariots  are 
said  to  have  been  broken  or  burned  by  an  arrow,  and  the  great  war  ele- 
phants are  represented  as  being  conquered  and  killed  by  a single  blow 
from  the  hand  of  any  one  of  the  warriors. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  M AHA-B  H A RATA.  THE  GREAT  WAR, 
CONCLUDED. 

THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA — THE  ATTACK  AND  REPULSE  OF 
THE  KAURAVAS  — THE  THIRD  DAY  — FALL  OF  BHISH- 
MA — A NIGHT  SCENE  — AVAR  OF  EXTERMINATION  — 
RAJA  Y U I)  Ili-SIIT  1 1 1 R A — THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE 
TRIBE  OF  YADAVAS — DEATH  OF  KRISHNA  — ABDI- 
CATION AND  PILGRIMAGE  OF  THE  RAJA — ASCENSION. 

r I HIE  great  plain  glittered  with  radiant  armor  and 
the  bright  trappings  of  war  horses,  while  the 
impatient  armies  awaited  the  signals  of  their  chief- 
tains and  a terrible  conflict  was  momentarily  expected. 
At  this  point  in  the  account  a later  hand  has  interpo- 
lated a long  series  of  discourses  bv  Krishna,  called  the 
Bhagavad-gita,  which  will  be  treated  in  another  chap- 
ter. According  to  some  writers  the  foe  consider- 
ately waited  until  this  ‘“Divine  Song”  was  finished, 
and  then  the  attack  Avas  made  by  Bhlslima,  avIio  ad- 
vanced with  the  troops  of  the  Kauravas. 

The  mighty  host  poured  over  the  plain  Avith  their 
lances  gleaming  in  the  sunlight  and  gorgeous  banners 
waving  above  them.  The  gallant  Karna  led  his  faith- 
ful bands  close  behind  the  battalion  of  his  commander. 
The  monarch,  in  golden  armor,  rode  upon  his  great 
Avar  elephant,  Avhose  gorgeous  trappings  Avere  in  liar- 

304 


LEGEXDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BH  ARATA. 


305 


mony  with  the  glittering  uniform  of  the  king.  As 
they  marched  to  the  front  the  war  shell  of  Bhishma 
sounded  its  defiant  challenge  above  the  strains  of  mar- 
tial music  and  the  whole  army  was  hurled  upon  the 
foe. 

“ The  sons  of  Pandu  marked  the  coming  storm 
And  swift  arrayed  their  force.  The  chief  divine 
And  Arjuna  at  the  king’s  request 
Raised  in  the  van  the  ape-emblazoned  banner,1 
The  host’s  conducting  star,  the  guiding  light 
That  cheered  the  bravest  heart,  and  as  it  swept 
The  air,  it  warmed  each  breast  with  martial  fires.” 

Arjuna  led  his  battalion  in  person.  Standing  in  his 
chariot,  covered  with  gleaming  mail  and  sternly  grasp- 
ing his  massive  bow,  Gandiva,  he  was  looked  upon  by 
his  men  as  the  messenger  of  fate. 

“Now,  as  on  either  hand  the  hosts  advanced, 

A sudden  tumult  filled  the  sky  ; earth  shook 
Chafed  by  the  winds,  the  sands  upcurled  to  heaven 
And  spread  a veil  before  the  sun. 

And  ever  and  anon  the  thunder  roared. 

And  angry  lightnings  flashed  across  the  gloom, 

Or  blazing  meteors  fearful  shot  to  earth. 

Regardless  of  these  awful  signs,  the  chiefs 
Pressed  on  to  mutual  slaughter,  and  the  peal 
Of  shouting  hosts  commingling  shook  the  world.” 

i Arjuna  had  entreated  the  monkey  demigod  Ilanuman  to  lend  him  his 
aid,  but  Hanuman  replied  that  if  he  would  put  a picture  of  a monkey  on 
his  banner  it  would  answer  every  purpose. 


30G 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


The  battle  became  general  at  the  first  attack  and 
in  a moment  the  air  was  thick  with  whizzing  arrows, 
while  the  whole  plain  resounded  to  the  beating  of  the 
drums,  the  sounding  of  the  war  shells,  the  neighing 
of  the  horses,  and  the  roaring  of  elephants.  In  the 
first  terrible  charge  it  seemed  as  if  heaven  and  earth 
had  come  together.  Swords  and  spears  flashed  like 
lightnings  in  the  sunlight,  and  every  stroke  was  fol- 
lowed with  blood,  which  stained  the  gleaming  armor 
before  it  reached  the  sod  of  the  plain.  A cloud  of 
dust  soon  dimmed  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  beneath 
its  pall  the  shouting  combatants  struggled  in  deadly 
conflict. 

At  last  the  son  of  Arjuna,  seeing  that  the  battle 
was  going  against  the  Pandavas,  made  a personal  at- 
tack upon  Bhlshma  and  his  staff.  He  succeeded  in 
cutting  down  the  ensign  on  his  chariot,  and  in  his 
reckless  charge  left  many  a foe  helpless  upon  the 
field.  But  the  night  came  down  upon  the  fearful 
scene,  and  the  warriors  retired  to  their  camps  without 
any  decisive  gain  to  either  side.  The  next  day,  how- 
ever, after  many  hours  of  hard  fighting,  the  Pandavas 
were  victorious,  Arjuna  in  a brilliant  charge  driving 
the  foe  from  the  field.  Rising  still  higher  in  his 
chariot  he  exclaimed : 

“ ‘ Fear  not,  my  friends,  still,  still  your  fame  maintain  !’ 
So  sjieaking,  on  he  dashed  with  whirling  wheel 
Through  the  deep  streams  of* blood,  with  carcasses 
And  shattered  weapons  choked,  and  thundering  drove 
Against  the  Kuril  ranks.  Around  his  course 
In  clouds  the  arrows  flew,  and  darkened  earth 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


307 


And  heaven,  and  hid  the  combatants  from  sight. 
Precursor  of  nocturnal  shades ; for  now 
The  sun  behind  the  western  mountain  sunk. 

And  gloom  profound  ensued,  nor  friend  nor  foe 
Could  longer  be  distinguished.  Drona  then 
Commanded  conflict  cease,  and  Arjuna 
Restrained  his  now  re-animated  troops. 

Each  to  his  tent  withdrew.  Amidst  his  peers 

The  glorious  Arjuna  unrivaled  shone 

As  gleams  the  moon  amongst  the  stars  of  heaven.” 

THE  THIRD  DAY 

dawned  bright  and  beautiful  upon  the  blood-stained 
field.  The  Pandavas  drew  up  their  army  in  the  form 
of  a half  moon,  and  attacked  at  once  the  center  and 
both  flanks  of  the  foe,  throwing  them  into  complete  dis- 
order, then  rapidly  re-formed  and  charged  again. 
The  slaughter  of  the  day  was  terrible  ; the  plain  was 
strewn  with  heaps  of  dead  and  weapons  of  every 
description.  There  were  headless  bodies1  and  riderless 
horses,  and  the  dust  of  the  plain  was  laid  with  blood  ; 
but  the  Pandavas  again  put  to  flight  the  Kauravas,  who 
fled  before  them  like  frightened  deer.  Duryodhana 
at  last  reproached  his  commander-in-chief,  Bhlshma, 
with  his  repeated  disasters,  and  complained  that  he  was 
indifferent  to  the  great  slaughter  of  his  own  troops. 
The  furious  chieftain  responded  to  his  complaints  with 
the  defiant  sounding  of  shells  and  the  braying  of  trum- 
pets. His  disheartened  followers  responded  bravely  to 
his  call,  and  in  a fiercely  fought  battle  the  Pandavas 

i In  the  original  it  is  stated  that  the  bodies  of  the  slain  rose  up  without 
their  heads  and  gave  battle  to  each  other. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


were  repulsed.  They  rallied,  however,  under  the  “ape- 
emblazoned  banner”  of  Arjuna,  and  the  Kauravas  were 
again  defeated,  while  shouts  of  victory  and  the  tri- 
umphant notes  of  shell  and  bugle  arose  from  the  hosts 
of  Pandu. 

FALL  OF  BIlISHMA. 

Five  days  longer  the  terrible  contest  went  on  with 
varying  result,  but  the  advantage  was  mainly  with  the 
Pandavas.1  At  last,  stung  by  the  reproaches  of  his 
king,  and  receiving  an  intimation  that  the  resignation 
of  his  command  would  be  acceptable,  Bhlshma  declared 
that  upon  the  morrow  he  would  either  be  victorious  or 
would  be  left  dead  upon  the  field.  On  the  tenth  day 
of  the  war,  therefore,  he  challenged  Arjuna  to  single 
combat,  and  after  many  hours  of  desperate  fighting  he 
received  a mortal  wound  from  the  hand  of  his  favorite 
pupil.2  Drona  was  then  given  the  position  of  com- 
mander-in-chief, and  the  fighting  became,  if  possible, 
more  desperate. 

“ Forgot  his  years — the  veteran  chieftain  fired 
With  rage,  the  energy  of  youth  resumed  ; 

Amidst  the  Pandu  ranks  he  smote  resistless, 

And  many  a headless  corse  and  mangled  limb 

l The  wildest  descriptions  are  given  of  the  victories  of  these  warriors. 
Arjuna  is  described  as  killing  five  hundred  warriors  at  once;  as  covering  the 
plain  with  dead  and  filling  the  rivers  with  blood.  Bhima  is  represented 
as  annihilating  with  a single  blow  of  his  club  a monstrous  elephant  with  all 
the  officers  mounted  upon  it,  and  many  foot  soldiers  beside,  while  the 
younger  Pandavas,  from  their  chariots,  were  cutting  off  thousands  of  heads 
and  sowing  them  like  seed  upon  the  ground. 

•2  Bhishma  is  said  to  have  been  so  evenly  pierced  in  every  part  of  his  body 
by  the  arrows  of  Arjuna.  that  when  he  fell  mortally  wounded  from  his  char 
iot,  he  rested  upon  the  points  of  the  arrows  and  lay  thus  for  many  weeks. 
The  whole  episode  is  probably  an  interpolation. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


309 


And  car  deserted  marked  the  warrior’s  path. 

Fast  flew  his  arrows  with  unerring  aim. 

And  heaven  loud  echoed  to  his  rattling  bow. 

The  soil  was  saddened  with  the  crimson  stream 
Of  the  vast  numbers,  men  and  steeds  and  elephants, 
Whom  Drona’s  shafts  to  Yama’s  halls  consigned.” 

The  fight  between  Dhrishta-dyumna  and  Drona  was  a 
long  and  doubtful  conflict.  At  length  Krishna  sug- 
gested that  if  Yudhi-shthira  would  assure  Drona  that 
his  son,  Asvatthaman,  was  dead,  the  old  warrior  would 
lose  all  heart  and  become  an  easy  prey  to  his  oppo- 
nent. Yudhi-shtliira,  however,  refused  to  tell  the  base 
falsehood  required  of  him.  Krishna  then  directed  the 
Pandavas  to  kill  an  elephant  that  was  named  Asvatt- 
haman, and  Drona  was  told  that  Asvatthaman  was 
dead.  Not  believing  it  he  fought  fiercely,  and  his 
fatal  blows  fell  with  terrible  effect  upon  both  the  cav- 
alry and  infantry  of  the  foe.1  Feeling  anxious,  how- 
ever, about  his  son.  he  called  to  Yudhi-shthira  to  know 
if  he  were  indeed  dead.  Yudhi-shthira  answered  : 
“Asvatthaman  is  dead — not  the  man,  but  the  elephant.” 
Knowing  that  he  was  about  to  tell  the  whole  truth, 
Krishna  and  Arjuna  sounded  their  war  shells  furiously 
as  soon  as  the  first  words  were  uttered,  so  that  Drona 
heard  only  the  message  of  death.  Believing  that  his 
son  had  indeed  fallen,  he  laid  down  his  arms  and 
willingly  received  the  fatal  blow.  The  death  of  the 
great  commander  was  the  turning-point  in  the  terrible 
conflict. 

i The  original  stales  that  the  infuriated  commander  slew  ten  thousand 
cavalry  and  twenty  thousand  infantry  at  this  critical  juncture,  and  would 
have  destroyed  the  whole  army  of  the  enemy  had  he  not  been  restrained  by 
the  gods,  who  reminded  him  that  he  was  a Brahman. 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


310 


A NIGHT  SCENE. 

The  days  went  by  with  blood-stained  feet,  and  mul- 
titudes of  brave  men  had  been  lost  on  both  sides. 
The  gallant  son  of  Arjuna — a mere  stripling  — had 
fallen  while  fighting  bravely  against  a cordon  of  Kuru 
chieftains.  His  grief-stricken  father  had  sworn  ven- 
geance upon  the  slayers  of  his  son,  and  the  terrible 
conflict  grew  more  and  more  desperate.  And  now  at 
set  of  sun  there  was  no  stay  to  the  spilling  of  blood, 
as  heretofore.  The  troops  fought  on  while  darkness 
gathered  around  them.  Friends  instead  of  foes  some- 
times fell  beneath  the  strokes  of  the  warriors,  but  still 
no  trumpet  called  retreat.  The  pale  moon  came  up 
and  looked  upon  the  awful  scene,  but  as  her  light  sil- 
vered the  spears  and  helmets,  it  lighted  up  also  dark 
pools  of  blood  and  the  headless  forms  of  the  slain. 
Then  she  grew  paler  still  and  shuddering  with  horror 
drew  back  her  face  behind  the  clouds  of  night. 

But  the  furious  avenger  of  the  fallen  boy  ordered 
lighted  torches  to  be  brought,  and  soon  every  war- 
rior was  carrying  a gleaming  flambeau  in  one  hand  and 
his  sword  in  the  other,  while  the  chariots  of  the  com- 
manders fairly  blazed  with  lurid  light.  The  whole  plain 
was  illumined  with  the  fitful  fire,  and  the  golden  armor 
of  the  rajas  shone  in  the  light  that  fell  upon  the  living 
and  the  dead.  Their  jeweled  arms  sparkled  beneath 
the  glare  as  if  in  mockery  of  the  groans  of  dying  men, 
and  their  swords  gleamed  in  the  firelight  as  they  drank 
the  blood  of  the  foe.  Hour  after  hour  passed  away  in 
the  terrible  work,  until  midnight  hushed  the  voices 
of  anger  and  Arjuna  called  his  wearied  troops  to  rest. 


311 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 

Then  the  exhausted  horseman  laid  his  tired  head  upon 
his  steed  and  slept  upon  the  field  ; the  foeman  lay 
upon  his  arms,  and  the  riders  of  elephants  reposed 
upon  their  faithful  bearers. 

A WAR  OF  EXTERMINATION. 

Now  that  their  commander-in-chief,  the  venerable 
Drona,  was  numbered  with  the  dead,  the  tide  of  battle 
went  steadily  against  the  Kauravas,  but  they  bravely 
gathered  their  shattered  troops  and  made  a gallant 
x'ally  under  the  leadership  of  Kama.  The  fighting  was 
again  desperate,  but  after  leading  the  armies  of  the 
Kauravas  for  two  days  the  new  commander  was  slain 
in  single  combat  with  Arjuna,  his  death  being  caused 
by  the  dishonorable  conduct  of  his  opponent,  who  acted 
under  the  advice  of  Krishna.  On  the  evening  of  the 
seventeenth  day  of  the  great  contest  Salya  was  placed 
in  command.  The  eighteenth  and  last  morning  of  the 
great  war  dawned  bright  and  clear  above  the  field, 
whose  blood-stained  soil  was  rough  with  the  bodies 
of  her  dead.  The  brave  Kauravas  once  more  charged 
upon  their  triumphant  foe,  but  the  charioteer  of  Salya 
was  slain,  and  his  death  was  quickly  followed  by  a 
single  combat  between  Bhima  and  Salya.  They  fought 
with  jeweled  maces,  while  the  remnants  of  both  armies 
anxiously  waited  for  the  result. 

“ Soon  as  he  saw  his  charioteer  struck  down. 
Straightway  the  Madra  monarch  grasped  his  mace 
And  like  a mountain  firm  and  motionless 
Awaited  the  attack.  The  warrior’s  form 
Was  awful  as  the  world-consuming  fire, 


312 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  0?  INDIA. 


Or  as  the  noose-armed  god  of  death,  or  as 
The  peaked  Kailasa,  or  the  Thunderer 
Himself,  or  as  the  trident-bearing  god. 

Or  as  a maddened  forest  elephant. 

Him  to  defy  did  Bhima  hastily 
Advance,  wielding  aloft  his  massive  club. 

A thousand  conchs  and  trumpets  and  a shout, 
Firing  each  champion’s  ardor,  rent  the  air. 

From  either  host,  spectators  of  the  fight. 

Burst  forth  applauding  cheers : ‘ The  Madra  King 
Alone,’  they  cried,  ‘can  bear  the  rush  of  Bhima ; 
None  but  heroic  Bhima  can  sustain 
The  force  of  Salya.’  Now  like  two  fierce  bulls 
Sprang  they  towards  each  other,  mace  in  hand, 
And  first  as  cautiously  they  circled  round. 

Whirling  their  weapons  as  in  sport,  the  pair 
Seemed  matched  in  equal  combat.  Balya’s  club, 

Set  with  red  fillets,  glittered  as  with  flame, 

While  that  of  Bhima  gleamed  like  flashing  light- 
ning. 

Anon  the  clashing  iron  met  and  scattered  round 
A fiery  shower ; then  fierce  as  elephants. 

Or  butting  bulls  they  battered  each  the  other. 

Thick  fell  the  blows,  and  soon  each  stalwart  frame. 
Spattered  with  gore,  glowed  like  the  Kinsuka, 
Bedecked  with  scarlet  blossoms ; yet  beneath 
The  rain  of  strokes,  unshaken  as  a rock, 

Bhima  sustained  the  mace  of  Salya,  he 
With  equal  firmness  bore  the  other’s  blows. 

Now  like  the  roar  of  crashing  thunder-clouds 
Sounded  the  clashing  iron  ; then,  their  clubs 
Brandished  aloft,  eight  paces  they  retired. 


LEGEXDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


313 


And  swift  again  advancing  to  the  fight 

Alet  in  the  midst,  like  two  huge  mountain  crags 

Hurled  into  contact.  Kor  could  either  bear 

The  other’s  shock  ; together  down  they  rolled 

Mangled  and  crushed,  like  two  tall  standards  fallen.  ”* 

The  Kauravas  after  continual  reverses  rallied  their 
scattered  forces  for  a final  charge,  which  led  to  a com- 
plete rout  and  general  slaughter.  Only  three  or  four 
of  their  chiefs  remained  alive,  and  not  a single  soldier 
of  their  eleven  armies  had  survived  the  campaign. 
The  victors  in  the  fight  were  but  little  better  off ; at 
the  end  of  the  terrible  contest  only  the  five  Pandavas 
and  two  of  their  adherents  still  lived.  Of  the  many 
millions  said  to  have  been  engaged  only  eleven  war- 
riors survived  the  contest. 

RAJA  YUDHI-SHTHIRA. 

The  elder  brother  of  the  Pandavas  wTas  duly  crowned 
as  king  of  the  entire  raj.  Great  pomp  and  magnifi- 
cence attended  the  ceremony,  but  the  willow  was 
entwined  with  the  laurel,  and  the  cypress  of  death 
wras  wreathed  with  the  roses  of  victory.  The  aged 
Dhrita-rashtra  mourned  his  fallen  sons,  and  the  new 
raja  was  sad  at  heart.  In  the  triumphal  processions 
in  his  honor  the  low  wrail  of  suffering  was  mingled 
with  the  strains  of  martial  music ; for  his  victory  had 
been  won  at  a fearful  cost,  and  the  royal  canopy  above 
his  head  seemed  draped  with  mourning.  But  he  sub- 
mitted to  the  splendors  of  the  ceremony,  and  sat  upon 
the  royal  tiger’s  skin  before  the  sacrificial  fire  with 


i William’  trans.  Ind.  Wis.,  p.  406. 


314 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Draupadi,  the  wife  of  all  the  Pandavas.  With  no  sign 
either  of  sorrow  or  joy  he  distributed  the  usual  gifts, 
and  in  his  public  address  lie  announced  that  he  lived 
only  for  his  people  and  to  promote  the  happiness  of 
the  blind  king,  whose  sons  had  been  slain  in  battle. 
The  days  went  by  amid  splendid  pageantry  whose  royal 
magnificence  was  often  disturbed  by  the  requiems  for 
the  dead.  At  last  the  new  raja,  with  a retinue  of 
attendants,  sought  the  counsel  of  the  aged  Bhishma, 
who  still  lay  upon  his  arrowy  bed  on  the  forsaken 
battle-field.  (See  note  to  page  308.) 

Passing  over  the  broken  arrows,  wrecked  chariots,  and 
unburied  forms  of  their  kinsmen,  they  found  the  suf- 
fering patriarch  patiently  awaiting  his  release.  He 
delivered  a long  discourse  to  Yudhi-shthira  on  his  duties 
toward  the  living,  and  then  bade  them  farewell.  The 
arrows  left  his  body,  his  skull  divided,  and  his  spirit, 
bright  as  a meteor,  ascended  through  the  top  of  his 
head  to  the  skies.  Then  they  covered  him  with  beau- 
tiful garlands  of  flowers,  and  carried  him  to  the  sacred 
waves  of  the  Ganges.  The  purifying  waters  were 
sprinkled  over  his  silent  form,  and  the  oblations  for 
the  dead  wTere  done. 

Returning  to  his  kingdom,  the  raja  resumed  the 
duties  of  his  government,  but  the  splendors  of  his 
position  brought  no  rest  to  his  burdened  heart — no 
peace  to  his  troubled  spirit.  When  he  slept  the  hor- 
rors of  the  battle-field  intruded  upon  his  vision,  and  in 
his  waking  hours  his  hands  seemed  stained  with  blood. 
At  last  he  determined  upon  the  performance  of  an 
Asva-medha,  the  greatest  and  most  difficult  rite  that 
a raja  can  perform,  by  the  accomplishment  of  which 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHAR ATA.  315 

lie  was  believed  to  have  asserted  his  sovereignty  over 
the  whole  earth. 

In  deference  to  his  age,  the  blind  Dhrita-rashtra 
was  placed  upon  a throne  of  gold  above  the  one  occu- 
pied by  Yudhi-shthira,  but  the  old  king  conkl  not 
forget  his  slain  sons,  nor  did  he  wish  to  share  the 
honors  of  the  government  with  their  murderers,  even 
though  they  treated  him  with  the  deference  which 
was  due  to  his  years  and  infirmity.  The  aged  mon- 
arch therefore  left  the  kingdom,  taking  his  faithful 
wife  and  a few  other  friends  with  him,  and  estab- 
lished a modest  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges. 
The  soft  monotone  of  the  sacred  waves  was  the  sweet- 
est of  music  to  the  blind  raja.  Afar  from  the  cares 
of  government  and  away  from  the  haunts  of  men,  he 
sat  upon  the  green  banks  of  the  river  and  listened 
hour  after  hour  to  the  musical  murmur  of  the  waters 
as  they  hurried  by. 

In  after  years  the  Pandavas,  with  DraupadI,  made  a 
visit  to  the  aged  king,  and  gathered  there  upon  the 
sacred  river  they  talked  in  low,  sad  tones  of  the  hor- 
rors of  the  war  and  the  brave  men  lost.  The  sage 
Vyasa  then  said  to  them:  “Go  all  of  you  into  the 

river  and  bathe,  and  each  shall  behold  the  kinsman 
for  whom  lie  has  been  sorrowing.”  So  they  all  went 
down  to  the  beautiful  stream  and  chose  a bathing  place 
for  themselves  and  their  families. 

At  eventime,  when  the  sun  was  floating  slowly  away 
in  a sea  of  gold  and  crimson  light,  they  entered  the 
clear  waters  of  the  river.  Then  the  waves  beat  higher, 
and  the  foam-crested  billows  rolled  like  an  angry  sea 
in  a storm.  The  last  rose-tinted  rays  faded  from  the 


316 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


western  sky  and  darkness  settled  down  upon  the  foam- 
ing river,  when  from  the  restless  bosom  of  the  tide 
arose  living  knights  in  armor.  Bhishma  and  Drona 
appeared  in  their  chariots,  and  the  starlight  gleamed 
softly  upon  their  golden  armor.  Then  came  the  heroic 
son  of  Arjuna  and  the  five  sons  of  DraupadI ; after 
them,  all  the  heroes  of  the  war,  mounted  upon  horses 
or  chariots  and  carrying  their  banners  and  weapons. 
But  peace  rested  upon  the  ensign  of  the  risen  host, 
and  voices  were  heard  chanting  their  praises.  The 

glad  wife  embraced  her  restored  husband  ; the  mother 
sought  her  boys ; sisters  rejoiced  over  their  brothers, 
and  in  the  glad  hour  of  reunion  the  fifteen  years  of 
loneliness  and  pain  were  forgotten. 1 The  night  passed 
away  in  the  fulness  of  joy,  but  when  the  morning 
dawned  the  risen  warriors  mounted  their  horses  and 
chariots  and  rode  away  in  the  gray  light  of  the  coming 
day,  and  the  loyal  widows  went  down  and  drowned 
themselves  in  the  river  that  they  might  join  their 
husbands  in  the  land  beyond  the  tomb. 

Then  the  raja  and  his  brothers  and  their  wife  Drau- 
padI took  leave  of  the  blind  king  on  the  shores  of  the 
Ganges,  and  returned  to  the  capital  city.  They  never 
saw  his  face  again,  for  in  a few  days  the  news  came 
that  there  had  been  a terrible  fire  in  the  jungle  and 
that  Dhrita-rashtra  and  all  of  his  family  had  perished 
in  the  flames. 

i For  many  centuries  the  sacred  books  of  the  Hindus  had  steadily  taught 
the  transmigration  of  the  soul,  and  this  sudden  change  to  the  very  opposite, 
viz. : the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  is  additional  proof  that  portions  of  the 
Maha-bharata  were  written  after  the  story  of  the  risen  Christ  had  penetrated 
India.  The  author  is  supported  in  this  opinion  by  Richard  Collins,  M.  A., 
of  the  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


317 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  TRIBE  OF  YADAVAS. 

The  burning  of  the  jungle  with  its  fatal  results 
brought  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  Pandavas,  for  they 
looked  upon  it  as  a bad  omen  for  the  future — the  be- 
ginning of  horrors.  In  a short  time  sad  tidings  came 
from  Dvaraka,  the  capital  of  Krishna,  who  was  the 
chief  of  the  tribe  of  Yadavas.  The  fair  city  was  situated 
upon  the  ocean  shores  and  the  vine-laden  valleys  around 
it  were  beautiful  as  a poet’s  dream.  But  the  rich 
clusters  of  fruit  were  perverted  from  their  legitimate 
use  and  the  fermented  juice  of  the  grape  became  the 
curse  of  the  city  by  the  sea.  Krishna  and  his  brother 
Bala-rama  are  spoken  of  in  the  Maha-bharata  as  “the 
wine-loving  Bala-rama  and  the  amorous  Krishna.” 

The  capital  was  often  the  scene  of  disgraceful  dis- 
sipation, for  the  tribe  of  Yadavas  (cow-herds)  were 
never  noted  for  their  morality.  Dvaraka  was  visited, 
it  is  said,  by  a fearful  apparition,  which  showed  itself 
at  the  doors  of  all  the  houses.  The  people  declared 
that  it  was  death  in  human  form,  for  its  color  was 
black  and  yellow,  and  its  head  was  shorn,  and  all  of 
its  limbs  were  distorted.  They  who  saw  it  were  para- 
lyzed with  fear  or  convulsed  with  trembling.  Then 
a great  wind  arose  and  trees  were  uprooted  and  car- 
ried away  by  the  power  of  the  tempest,  while  the  ter- 
rified rats  swarmed  into  the  houses  by  thousands  and 
even  gnawed  the  hair  and  beards  of  the  sleeping  in- 
mates. The  frightened  owls  also  sought  the  compan- 
ionship of  men  and  crowded  into  their  habitations, 
while  other  birds  cried  in  terror  during  the  long  hours 
of  the  night. 

At  last  Krishna  issued  a proclamation  that  on  the 


318 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


morrow  all  the  people  of  the  city  should  go  down  to 
the  seashore  and  pay  their  devotions  to  the  deity  of 
Dvaraka.  But  as  if  in  defiance  of  this  proclamation 
the  apparition  of  a black  woman,  clothed  in  black  gar- 
ments, walked  slowly  into  the  streets.  From  house  to 
house  she  wandered,  looking  in  at  the  windows  and 
grinning  at  the  inmates,  her  great  yellow  teeth  pro- 
jecting beyond  her  distorted  lips.  If  any  one  attempted 
to  seize  her  she  vanished  out  of  his  hands  with  a 
low  mocking  laugh  and  showed  her  hideous  head  far 
away.  Then  the  charioteer  of  Krishna  harnessed  his 
master’s  horses,  but  they  bounded  into  the  air  and  bore 
the  chariot  far  out  over  the  foaming  sea,  where  they 
disappeared  forever  from  sight. 

Hoping  to  put  an  end  to  these  terrible  omens  and 
avert  further  disaster,  the  people  gathered  upon  the 
shores  of  the  sea  to  propitiate  the  god  of  Dvaraka. 
Some  took  up  their  abode  in  tents  upon  the  sand, 
while  others  sought  the  shelter  of  trees ; but  they  car- 
ried with  their  provisions  a great  abundance  of  wine, 
and  the  expedition  which  was  intended  as  an  act  of 
devotion  became  a scene  of  disgraceful  revelry.  All 
the  chieftains  of  the  Yadavas  were  there,  and  the  wine 
flowed  freely.  Soon  insults  began  to  take  the  place  of 
jesting ; angry  words  were  followed  by  angry  blows. 

At  last  Krishna  ordered  a friend  to  repeat  a story 
which  represented  one  of  the  chieftains  as  a thief  and 
a murderer,  whereupon  the  insulted  chief  drew  his 
sword,  and  calling  upon  his  friends  to  aid  him  they 
slew  the  man  who  told  the  story  and  also  a son  of 
Krishna,  with  many  other  warriors.  The  melee  now 
became  general,  for  Krishna  sprang  into  the  fight  and 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BH ARATA. 


319 


slew  the  murderers  of  his  son.  But  the  combatants 
were  all  so  frantic  with  anger  and  with  wine  that  they 
fell  indiscriminately  upon  each  other,  striking  blindly 
at  friend  and  foe  alike.  Drunken  fathers  slew  their 
sons ; brothers  fought  together  until  one  was  slain, 
when  the  survivor  sought  a fresh  victim.  The  strife 
went  on  until  the  whole  tribe  of  Yadavas  were  killed 
except  Bala-rama  and  Krishna  and  one  other  chieftain, 
the  sons  and  grandsons  of  Krishna  being  amongst  the 
slain.  Ilis  charioteer  came  presently  to  his  master  and 
told  him  that  his  brother,  Bala-rama,  had  gone  out  of 
the  crowd  at  the  beginning  of  the  trouble  ; the  chief 
therefore  with  his  one  surviving  friend  went  to  find 
him. 

They  found  him  sitting  in  the  dense  shade  of  a 
banyan  tree,  whose  gnarled  roots  were  reaching  hungrily 
down  from  the  branches  to  find  nourishment  in  the 
earth.  Krishna  commanded  his  charioteer  to  go  hastily 
to  Hastinapur  and  tell  the  Pandavas  of  the  trouble, 
and  request  the  raja  Yudhi-shthira  to  send  Arjuna  with 
all  speed  to  Dvaraka.  He  also  ordered  his  compan- 
ion to  go  immediately  to  Dvaraka  and  to  save  the 
women  and  children  from  the  hands  of  the  drunken 
populace.  The  chieftain  started  upon  his  errand  of 
mercy,  but  he  was  attacked  by  a drunken  fisherman, 
who  slew  him  on  his  way. 

THE  DEATH  OF  KRISHNA. 

When  Krishna  approached  his  brother,  who  was  sit- 
ting with  closed  eyes  and  leaning  against  the  trunk  of 
the  banyan  tree,  he  found  that  he  was  already  dead, 
and  exclaiming,  “I  saw  all  the  Kauravas  perish,  and 


320 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


now  I have  seen  all  of  the  Yadavas  slain,”  the  mourner 
sat  down  near  the  dead  body  of  his  brother  and  gave 
himself  up  to  troubled  thoughts.  But  a hunter  pass- 
ing near  saw  him  and  mistaking  him  for  a wild  ani- 
mal shot  him.  killing  him  instantly.  “Thus  died  the 
mighty  Krishna.” 

The  city  of  Dvaraka  was  now  a city  of  widows  and 
orphans ; the  wail  of  wondering  children  was  mingled 
with  the  lamentations  of  the  women. 

Each  one  of  the  sixteen  thousand  wives  of  Krishna 
appeared  to  think  that  her  wifely  duty  consisted  in 
making  louder  demonstrations  of  grief  than  the  others, 
and  when  Arjuna  entered  the  city  he  was  distracted 
with  the  terrible  bowlings  within  her  walls ; for  the 
mourning  wives  came  to  meet  him  with  disheveled  hair 
and  violent  outcries.  As  soon  as  Arjuna  could  com- 
mand himself,  he  went  to  the  scene  of  the  drunken 
melee  where  the  Yadavas  had  slain  each  other.  With 
the  assistance  of  the  Brahmans  who  had  survived  the 
disaster  he  gathered  a great  quantity  of  fuel  and 
burned  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  not  neglecting  the  usual 
funeral  oblations.  Then  he  sent  parties  out  in  various 
directions  to  search  for  the  bodies  of  Bala-rama  and 
Krishna,  which  when  found  he  caused  to  be  burned 
“ with  much  precious  odors  ” and  “ sprinkled  water 
for  their  souls.”  Four  of  Krishna’s  widows  burned 
themselves  upon  the  funeral  pile,  and  all  the  others 
assumed  the  dress  of  devotees  and  retired  to  the  jun- 
gle.1 Arjuna  took  the  treasures  of  the  city  and  the 

■ The  number  of  his  wives  is  elsewhere  given  definitely  as  sixteen 
thousand  one  hundred  and  nine.  It  is  also  stated  that  his  wives  bore  him 
one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  sons,  but  in  this  immediate  connection 
nothing  is  said  of  this  large  family  of  fatherless  children,  except  that  his 
sons  and  grandsons  were  killed  in  the  drunken  melee. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


321 


remnant  of  her  people — a few  Brahmans  and  a multi- 
tude of  women  and  children — home  with  him,  and 
settled  them  in  Indra-prastha.  Scarcely  had  they  left 
the  scene  of  revelry  and  crime,  when  the  waves  of  the 
sea  arose  and  swept  the  devoted  city  down  into  her 
bosom.  Fishes  swam  through  the  gilded  saloons  of 
Dvaraka,  and  the  sea  mosses  twined  around  cornice 
and  pillar,  while  the  moaning  waves  sang  the  requiem 
of  fallen  splendor  and  the  billows  chanted  the  dirge 
for  the  dead. 

ABDICATION. 

The  reign  of  Yudhi-shthira  was  one  long  drama  of 
sorrow — one  dark  scene  of  tragedy.  The  stain  of  fra- 
ternal blood  was  on  his  ivory  throne  and  on  the  costly 
draperies  of  his  palace.  Even  with  the  strains  of 
martial  music  were  mingled  the  minor  chords  of 
grief,  and  the  drum-beats  seemed  muffled  as  for  a fun- 
eral dirge.  For  thirty-six  years  he  struggled  bravely 
to  overcome  the  disaster  and  gloom  that  met  him  on 
every  side,  but  at  last  he  decided  to  abdicate  the 
throne  which  had  been  obtained  at  such  fearful  cost, 
and  make  a pilgrimage  to  India’s  heaven,  in  the  rocky 
heights  of  Mount  Morn.1  When  his  loyal  brothers 
heard  of  this  high  resolve,  they  determined  to  share 

i The  mournful  grandeur  of  the  raja  amidst  the  magnificence  of  his 
court  suggests  the  touching  scene  in  Book  XIII  of  the  Odyssey,  when 
Ulysses  after  ten  years  of  war  and  ten  years  more  of  wandering  reaches 
the  goal  of  his  ambition  upon  the  shores  of  Ithaca.  Bitterly  the  hero  be- 
wails his  disappointment: 

“ Then  on  the  sands  he  ranged  his  wealthy  store, 

The  gold,  the  vests,  the  tripods  numbered  o’er; 

All  these  he  found,  but  still  in  error  lost 
Disconsolate  he  wanders  on  the  coast, 

Sighs  for  his  country  and  laments  again 
To  the  deaf  rocks  and  hoarse-resounding  main.” 


322 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


his  fate,  and  with  Draupadi  followed  him  to  the  great 
wilderness.  The  people  pressed  after,  remonstrat- 
ing and  pleading  with  the  raja  to  return,  but  finding 
him  immovable  they  bade  the  wanderers  farewell 
and  returned  to  the  city.  llis  wife  and  brothers  and 
a faithful  dog  were  now  his  only  courtiers.  The  im- 
perial canopy  was  the  blue  heaven  above  him  and  his 
kingdom  the  wilderness  around  him. 

“ Then  the  high-minded  sons  of  Pandu  and  the  noble 
Draupadi 

Roamed  onwards,  fasting,  with  their  faces  towards  the 
east  ; their  hearts 

Yearning  for  union  with  the  Infinite,  bent  on  abandon- 
ment 

Of  worldly  things.  They  wandered  on  to  many  coun- 
tries, many  a sea 

And  river.  Yudhi-shthira  walked  in  front,  and  next  to 
him  came  Bliima ; 

And  Arjuna  came  after  him,  and  then,  in  order,  the 
twin  brothers. 

And  last  of  all  came  Draupadi,  with  her  dark  skin  and 
lotus  eyes — 

The  faithful  Draupadi,  loveliest  of  women,  best  of  noble 
wives — 

Behind  them  walked  the  only  living  thing  that  shared 
their  pilgrimage — 

The  dog.  And  by  degrees  they  reached  the  briny  sea; . . 
They  reached  the  northern  region  and  beheld  with 
heaven-aspiring  hearts 

The  mighty  mountain  Himavat.1  Beyond  its  lofty  peak 
they  passed 


i Himalaya. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  HAHA-BHARATA. 


323 


Towards  a sea  of  sand,  and  saw  at  last  the  rocky  Meru, 
king 

Of  mountains.  As  with  eager  steps  they  hastened  on, 
their  souls  intent 

On  union  with  the  Eternal,  Draupadi  lost  hold  of  her 
high  hope. 

And  faltering  fell  upon  the  earth.”1 

One  by  one  the  others  fell,  leaving  only  Bhima, 
Yudhi-shthira,  and  the  dog.  The  eldest  walked  on  un- 
moved by  the  fate  of  the  others,  with  his  calm,  inflexi- 
ble face  fixed  toward  the  summit,  but  Bhima  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  the  reason  of  their  fall.  He  answered 
that  it  was  because  of  their  sinful  thoughts.  That 
Draupadi  fell  because  of  her  excessive  love  for  Arjuna  ; 
the  others  on  account  of  pride  or  vanity.  At  last 
Bhima  fell  also  and  was  told  that  he  suffered  death 
on  account  of  his  selfishness. 

ASCENSION. 

Only  Yudhi-shthira  was  now  left,  and  he  walked  per- 
sistently onward  still  followed  by  the  faithful  dog. 
At  last  he  was  met  by  Indra,  who  hailed  him  as  a 
prince  and  invited  him  to  ascend  to  heaven.  Then 
the  king  looked  back  upon  his  fallen  brothers  and 
pleaded, 

“ Let  my  brothers  here 

Come  with  me.  Without  them,  0 god  of  gods,  I would 
not  wish  to  enter 

E’en  heaven  ; and  yonder  princess  Draupadi,  the  faith- 
ful wife 


William's  trans.  Iud.  Wis.,  p.  412. 


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Worthy  of  endless  bliss,  let  her,  too,  come.  In  mercy 
hear  my  prayer.” 

Indra  replied  that  the  spirits  of  DraupadI  and  his 
brothers  were  already  in  heaven,  and  that  only  the 
king  himself  could  be  permitted  to  ascend  in  his 
bodily  form.  Yudhi-shthira  then  implored  that  his  dog 
might  be  permitted  to  go  with  him  to  Paradise,  but 
Indra  indignantly  asserted  that  “ Heaven  was  no  place 
for  men  accompanied  by  dogs.”  The  king,  however, 
firmly  refused  to  go  into  the  radiant  home  of  Indra 
unless  his  dog  could  bear  him  company.  “You  have 
abandoned  DraupadI  and  your  brothers,  why  not  for- 
sake your  dog?”  the  god  demanded.  To  this  the 
king  replied  : “ I had  no  power  to  bring  them  back 

to  life;  how  can  I abandon  those  who  no  longer  live?” 

Finding  that  Yudhi-shtira  was  determined  not  to 
leave  him,  the  dog,  who  had  been  the  king’s  father 
in  a former  birth,  assumed  his  human  form  and  the 
two  went  together  into  Paradise.  There  beneath  the 
golden  dome  and  amidst  the  jeweled  thrones  he  found 
Duryodhana  and  all  the  Kauravas,  but  neither  his 
brothers  nor  DraupadI  were  present.  Addressing  In- 
dra he  declared  that  he  could  not  stay  in  heaven 
without  the  presence  of  those  he  loved,  and  besought 
the  god  that  he  might  share  their  fate  in  hell.  A 
radiant  messenger  was  therefore  sent  from  the  throne 
of  Indra  to  conduct  the  king  to  the  lower  regions. 

He  entered  a dense  forest  composed  of  trees  which 
bore  terrible  thorns  and  swords  instead  of  leaves. 
With  naked  feet  lie  walked  over  pavements  made  of 
razors  with  the  edges  upturned  to  meet  the  culprit. 


LEGENDS  OF  TIIE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


325 


He  passed  over  the  foul  and  mutilated  bodies  of  those 
who  had  preceded  him,  while  hideous  shapes  flitted 
through  the  darkness  and  hovered  with  outstretched 
hands  above  him.  Onward,  still  onward,  he  urged 
his  way  with  cut  and  mangled  feet,  until  he  came  to 
the  place  of  burning,  where  the  forms  of  his  brothers 
were  seen  in  the  pitiless  flames  with  multitudes  of 
others. 

Draupadi  turned  her  suffering  eyes  to  him  and 
reaching  out  her  burning  hands  she  pleaded  with  him 
to  save  her.  The  beseeching  voices  of  his  brothers, 
also,  were  borne  to  his  ear,  and  in  a moment  the 
heroic  heart  had  chosen  to  share  their  pain.  Turning 
to  his  angel  guide,  he  bade*  him  go  and  leave  him 
there  with  those  he  loved.  Brave  soul  ! It  was  the 
last  trial  of  his  loyal  heart,  and  the  terrible  illusion 
vanished. 

He  was  bidden  to  go  and  bathe  in  the  sacred  waters 
of  the  Ganges,  and  as  he  entered  the  cooling  waves 
heaven  was  opened  above  him,  and  there  in  the  land 
of  undying  flowers  lie  was  greeted  by  the  gentle 
Draupadi.  Advancing  from  curtains  of  azure,  with 
her  dark  eyes  gleaming  with  light  and  love,  she  gave 
him  one  delicate  hand  and  led  him  to  a royal  throne 
gleaming  with  jewels  and  draped  with  flowers.  On 

beyond  a floral  grove  he  saw  the  glad  faces  of  his 
brothers  amid  the  roses,  and  turning  he  made  a joy- 
ful salutation  to  Indra,  the  god  of  battles. 

Beside  the  main  story  of  the  Maha-bharata  which 
we  have  here  given,  there  is  an  interminable  mass  of 
myth  and  legend,  consisting  mainly  of  fairy  tales  of 
little  or  no  literary  value.  For  instance,  in  the  orig- 


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inal  poem  there  are  hundreds  of  pages  devoted  to  the 
adventures  of  the  horse  which  Yudhi-shthira  allowed  to 
wander  at  his  will  during  the  prescribed  year  of  prepa- 
ration for  the  Asva-medha  sacrifice. 

But  there  is  occasionally  a gem  of  sentiment  which 
ought  to  be  preserved,  such  as  the  victory  of  love 
over  death  in  the  beautiful  legend  of  Savitri  and 
Satyavan.  This  little  poem  is  well  worthy  of  the 
attention  which  has  been  given  it  by  various  scholars. 
Of  all  the  myths  of  the  Maha-bharata  it  is  perhaps 
the  purest  and  most  touching.  We  give  a prose  ver- 
sion of  it  in  the  following  pages. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA,  CONCLUDED. 

SAVITRI  AND  SATYAVAN. 

THE  KING'S  DAUGHTER  — SAYITRl’S  CHOICE  — THE  MAR- 
RIAGE— LOVE  CONQUERS  DEATH. 

T OXG-  years  ago  there  lived  in  palace  halls  the 
-1— ' mighty  king  of  Kekaya.  Gallant  and  brave  in 
person,  just  and  beneficent  in  the  administration  of 
the  laws  of  his  realm,  he  was  the  hero  of  his  people 
and  they  rendered  to  him  a loyal  obedience. 

But  King  Asva-pati  carried  a desolate  heart  amidst 
the  magnificence  which  surrounded  him,  for  the  gods 
had  written  him  childless.  Through  long  years  of 
faithful  fasting  and  penance  his  prayers  had  been  unan- 
swered. But  one  glad  day  the  goddess  of  the  sun 
arose  from  his  sacrificial  fire  ; beautiful  and  bright  she 
came  in  the  form  of  glorious  womanhood,  and  rising 
through  the  crimson  flame  stepped  into  the  royal  pres- 
ence, saying : “ What  wilt  thou,  mighty  raja,  that 

I shall  do  for  thee  ? I have  listened  to  thy  prayers ; 
I have  watched  thy  penance,  and  seen  the  bounty  of 
thine  offerings.  During  all  the  years  of  thy  reign 
the  poor  have  found  in  thee  a valued  friend,  and 
now,  oh,  king  ! I wait  to  do  thy  bidding ; tell  me 
now  the  dearest  wish  of  thy  heart.”  And  Asva-pati 
answered  : “ Oh,  beautiful  goddess,  ’tis  for  my  barreu 

32? 


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line  that  I do  penance  and  have  performed  my  vows 
lo  ! these  many  years.  Give  me  an  heir  for  my  throne 
and  kingdom  ; give  me  children  to  grace  my  royal 
hearthstone.”  Then  the  radiant  goddess  smiling  said  : 
“ I knew  thy  wish,  oh  king,  and  there  shall  be  born 
a daughter  unto  thee  — not  a son,  but  a fair  girl — 
the  loveliest  that  the  stars  have  ever  shone  upon 
and,  smiling  still,  the  beauteous  vision  vanished  in  the 
sacrificial  flame. 

Time  passed  on  with  flying  feet,  and  ere  long  a 
child  was  given  to  the  royal  house  and  courtiers 
brought  their  praise  unto  the  palace  gates,  while  the 
streets  of  the  city  were  ringing  with  joyous  music 
and  everywhere  the  glad  news  went  that  the  queen 
had  borne  a daughter — a babe  of  loveliest  mould. 
The  child  was  named  SavitrT  and  the  happy  father 
made  a royal  birthday  feast ; the  poor  were  fed  and 
the  city  was  decorated  with  bright  flags  and  long  fes- 
toons of  flowers.  Every  porch  and  pillar  was  made 
bright  and  fragrant  with  floral  vines,  and  the  great 
vases  in  front  of  the  palace  were  filled  with  branches 
of  orange  and  mango  trees. 

The  little  one  who  met  with  such  a royal  welcome 
grew  more  beautiful  as  the  years  went  by,  and  when 
she  reached  the  fair  heights  of  womanhood  she  was  a 
vision  of  grace  and  loveliness.  The  lithe  figure  of  this 
Indian  maid  was  like  a dream  of  beauty  and  grace, 
and  the  rosy  light  of  health  flashed  through  the  olive 
shades  of  her  face.  The  crimson  lips  'smiled  over 
pearly  teeth  and  the  great  dark  eyes  were  luminous 
with  light  and  love.  But  still  no  raja  dared  to  ask  the 
hand  of  the  princess  in  marriage.  Her  loveliness  and 


LEGENDS  OP  THE  HAHA-BHARATA. 


329 


truth,  her  queenly  independence  had  awed  them  into 
silence. 

At  last  her  father  gave  to  her  a princess’  right  to 
choose  for  herself  a lord,  and  gave  his  royal  word  that 
the  man  she  chose  should  be  welcomed  by  her  sire. 
A royal  train  moved  through  the  provinces  and  visited 
every  court,  for  Savitrl  with  her  ministers  and  maidens 
would  take  the  air  and  travel  for  the  princess’  health. 
They  received  everywhere  a royal  welcome,  but  she 
loved  best  the  trees  and  groves  ; hence,  they  wandered 
through  the  fragrant  woods  and  gathered  fruits  and 
flowers  there. 

One  day  they  found  a hermit,  aged  and  blind,  who 
with  his  faithful  wife  sat  in  the  dense  shade  of  a teak 
tree,  whose  abundant  leaves  gleamed  in  the  sunshine 
above  them  and  protected  them  from  its  heat.  The 
gentle  princess  stayed  to  give  them  a few  kindly  words 
and  enjoy  the  wild  flowers  around  the  hermitage. 
While  she  listened  to  their  story  a young  man  came 
from  the  thicket  bearing  the  sacred  wood  to  be  used 
in  the  evening  sacrifice.  He  stopped  in  wonder  and 
admiration  before  Savitrl,  and  her  eyes  rested  a mo- 
ment upon  his  manly  form  and  honest  face.  It  was 
Satyavan,  the  hermit’s  son,  who  stayed  to  serve  his 
aged  parents  in  their  banishment.  The  princess  had 
dawned  upon  his  vision  like  a dream  of  heaven,  and 
like  a dream  she  vanished  from  his  woodland  home, 
leaving  her  memory  to  haunt  his  steps  and  make  his 
loneliness  more  terrible.  In  the  still  hours  of  the  night 
he  heard  her  voice  and  saw  the  lovely  face  which  had 
become  part  of  his  being. 


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SAVITRl’S  CHOICE. 

One  day  the  Maha-raja  sat  in  his  council  hall  with 
the  sage  Niirada.  They  were  talking  in  low  tones  of 
the  affairs  of  state  when  the  king’s  daughter  was  an- 
nounced. With  her  dark  eyes  glowing  with  light  and 
hajipiness  she  stepped  into  the  royal  presence  and 
bowed  meekly  before  her  father,  who  laid  his  hand 
lovingly  upon  her  dark  hair,  as  he  bent  down  and 
caressed  his  child.  Niirada  looked  in  admiration  upon 
the  princess  and  said  to  the  king,  “ Thy  daughter  is 
very  fair.  Thou  shouldst  give  her  in  marriage  to  the 
raja  of  some  goodly  kingdom.”  “For  this  purpose  she 
has  been  abroad,”  replied  the  king.  Then  turning  to 
his  daughter  he  said,  “My  child,  hast  thou  chosen 
thy  lord  ?”  But  she  answered  not.  Standing  before 
the  sage  with  her  face  crimsoned  with  blushes,  her 
eyes  mutely  appealed  to  her  father  to  stay  his  ques- 
tions. Reading  her  wish,  he  said,  “ Fear  not,  my 
child,  to  speak  before  the  sage  Narada ; he  is  thy 
father’s  best  and  truest  friend ; but  tell  me  if  thou 
hast  found  the  object  of  thy  search.”  Then  she 
answered  : “ Father,  I have  been  long  away ; I have 

visited  the  courts  of  princes ; I have  offered  sacrifice 
in  the  sacred  groves,  and  I have  found  in  one  of  these 
the  banished  king  of  Clialva,  who  lost  his  throne  and 
kingdom  because  of  blindness.  An  usurper  reigns  upon 
his  throne,  and  his  faithful  queen  stays  with  him  in 
the  woodland  cot.  Their  loyal  son  ministers  to  their 
wants ; he  brings  them  fruit  and  game  for  food ; he 
feeds  their  sacrificial  fire  and  pulls  the  sacred  kusa 
grass  to  make  their  couch  both  soft  and  warm ; he 


LEGENDS  OE  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


331 


brings  fresh  water  from  the  passing  brook  and  gives 
them  love  and  tenderness  in  their  daily  need.  Father, 
I have  chosen  him,  this  banished  prince,  to  be  my 
lord.” 

Then  said  Xarada,  “ Xot  he,  my  child,— thou  canst 
not  choose  the  banished  Satyavan.  He  is  both  brave 
and  noble  ; a grander  youth  ne’er  trod  a kingly  court, 
but  o’er  his  head  there  hangs  a fearful  fate.  He  is 
doomed  to  die,  and  in  a year  the  gods  decide  that  he 
must  go.”  Her  blushes  fled  and  her  cheeks  grew 
strangely  pale  as  she  answered  : “ Whether  he  live  long 

or  die  to  day,  whether  he  be  full  of  grace  and  wisdom, 
or  graceless  stand  before  me,  my  heart  hath  chosen 
once — it  chooseth  not  again,  and  I have  my  father’s 
royal  pledge  that  lie  will  ratify  my  decision.” 

Then  said  the  king.  Remember,  child,  the  sad  lot 
of  Hindu  widowhood,  and  choose  again.  The  noblest 
raja  in  the  land  would  gladly  call  thee  wife.  Let  not 
this  banished  youth  who  has  only  a year  to  live  take 
my  peerless  Indian  gem  into  his  rough  woodland 
home.” 

The  dark  eyes  were  raised  again  to  his  and  in  their 
liquid  depths  he  read  her  answer  even  before  her  lips 
replied,  “A  loyal  heart  can  choose  but  once,  and  a loyal 
sire  will  not  revoke  his  promise.” 

Then  the  raja  sighed,  “ As  thou  wilt,  dear  child, 
but  for  thine  own  sake  I would  have  had  thee  make  a 
wiser  choice.”  One  quick  look  of  gratitude  flashed 
from  the  wondrous  eyes,  then  bending  her  blushing 
face  to  kiss  her  father’s  hand  and  reverently  bidding 
the  sage  farewell,  she  left  the  council  hall. 


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THE  MARRIAGE. 

Having  given  his  royal  sanction  to  his  daughter’s 
choice,  the  king  ordered  that  preparations  should  be 
made  for  the  coming  nuptials.  Though  the  bride 
should  dwell  in  a lonely  hermitage  she  would  still  be 
a king’s  daughter,  and  her  robes  even  in  the  woodland 
should  befit  her  noble  birth.  It  was  an  imperial 
pageant  that  went  forth  to  the  humble  dwelling  of 
the  hermit.  There  were  the  priests  and  sages  and 
courtiers,  and  the  royal  family,  mounted  upon  the  war 
elephants  with  their  costly  trappings. 

Amid  the  strains  of  martial  music  the  train  went 
forth  from  the  palace  gates.  No  courier  had  been 
sent  to  give  warning  of  their  coming ; therefore  the 
king  ordered  a halt  when  near  the  hermitage,  and  he 
himself  went  forward  to  hold  council  with  the  blind 
lord  of  the  humble  home.  Courteous  salutations  were 
passed  between  them,  and  after  extending  the  modest 
hospitalities  that  still  were  his,  the  blind  king  asked 
what  brought  the  Maha-raja  to  his  door.  “ I have 
come,”  said  he,  “to  ask  of  you  that  you  will  ratify  my 
daughter’s  choice ; she  hath  chosen  your  son  Satyavan 
to  be  her  lord.” 

Then  answered  the  banished  king,  “In  the  days  of 
my  proud  position  it  was  my  ambition  to  link  my  house 
with  yours  by  ties  of  blood,  oh,  noble  king  ! but  now 
that  my  kingdom  is  lost  and  I am  hut  a dethroned 
and  banished  sovereign,  I could  not  take  the  lovely 
princess  from  her  palace  home  to  share  our  humble 
fate.” 

But  the  raja  replied,  “ You  and  I are  both  too  old 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHAKATA. 


333 


to  think  that  happiness  is  dependent  upon  luxury.  We 
know  that  love  can  hold  her  sylvan  court  in  humblest 
bower,  and  your  son  is  the  lady’s  choice.  She  has 
chosen  to  dwell  in  modest  guise  with  him  she  loves 
rather  than  share  the  splendors  of  another.  Shall  we 
deny  her  wish?”  “Nay,  never,”  said  the  banished 
king.  “ Her  gracious  wish  is  mine,  and  great  honor 
she  brings  to  our  fallen  house.  May  the  blessings 
of  Indra  rest  upon  her  beauteous  head  ! ” and  calling 
Satyavan  he  told  him  why  the  raja  came.  The  be- 
wildered prince  could  scarcely  believe  the  lovely  prin- 
cess had  chosen  him.  II is  words  were  few  ; but  his 
eyes  were  eloquent  with  the  joy  his  lips  refused  to 
voice. 

Then  the  royal  train  was  ordered  into  view,  and 
there  beneath  the  massive  trees  were  gathered  priest 
and  sage  with  golden  jars  filled  from  the  waves  of  the 
sacred  Ganges.  Beyond  the  great  trees  where  the 
hermitage  stood  Avere  thickets  of  rose  laurel,  whose 
fragrance  filled  the  air ; on  the  other  side  a silver 
brook  was  hastening  by  to  find  rest  in  the  bosom  of 
a clear  lake,  beneath  the  fragrant  cups  of  lotus 
blossoms  and  white  lilies.  Here  in  Nature’s  temple, 
beneath  her  shining  dome  and  beside  her  sacred  pools, 
with  legal  rites  the  two  were  bound  in  holy  marriage  ; 
and  Love  stayed  by  and  held  his  court  where  the  royal 
lovers  pledged  their  faith. 

The  raja  and  his  queen  bade  their  child  a fond 
farewell,  and  when  they  passed  from  sight  the  princess 
took  from  her  hands  and  arms  the  costly  jewels  that 
she  wore  and  laid  aside  her  silken  robes  ; then  on  her 
delicate  form  she  placed  the  rough  garments  that  be- 


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fitted  her  new  station  as  a hermit’s  wife.  Thus  she 
proved  the  great  love  that  brought  her  here ; she  could 
not  wear  a finer  robe  than  he  ; she  could  not  see  her 
little  hands  decked  with  gold  and  gems  while  his  were 
roughened  with  honest  toil.  She  had  chosen  to  share 
the  fortune  of  the  man  she  loved,  and  no  ray  of  bar- 
baric splendor  should  suggest  to  him  that  she  cared 
for  things  he  could  not  furnish.  The  gray-haired 
mother  looked  smilingly  on  and  loved  the  loyal  wife, 
whose  gracious  ways  and  loving  words  soon  won  the 
heart  of  the  banished  king  as  well. 

The  little  family  dwelt  in  their  forest  home  in  sweet 
content  and  the  days  went  by  on  silver  feet.  To  Satya- 
van  it  seemed  that  life’s  ills  all  were  done,  and  he  rested 
in  the  heaven  of  his  happiness  feeling  that  the  gods 
could  do  no  more.  But  Savitrl  carried  in  her  loving 
heart  a fearful  dread — a counting  of  the  days  when 
the  death  decree  should  be  fulfilled.  When  the  sun 
went  down  in  the  sea  and  the  soft  folds  of  night 
cooled  the  fevered  earth  she  knew  that  one  day  less 
remained  to  Satyavan. 

LOVE  CONQUERS  DEATH. 

At  last  the  days  had  nearly  fled — the  little  wife  grew 
strangely  still  ; her  gentle,  loving  deeds  were  still  her 
own,  but  her  songs  were  hushed  in  tearful  prayers. 
When  the  time  was  nearly  come  she  sat  beneath  a great 
tree  like  a beautiful  statue  and  neither  ate  nor  drank. 
For  three  long  days  and  nights  she  sat  thus,  mutely 
imploring  the  gods  to  save  from  death's  decree  the  man 
she  loved.  During  all  the  year  she  had  carried  the 
fatal  secret  in  her  own  faithful  heart.  She  could  not 


LEGEXDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


335 


pain  the  others  with  the  weight  of  her  terrible  woe, 
and  they  wondered  now  at  the  severity  of  her  penance ; 
but  they  thought  she  craved  some  great  gift  of  the  gods, 
and  they  could  not  deny  her  wish. 

The  fateful  day  dawned  at  last  and  found  her  weak 
and  faint,  but  she  would  not  taste  of  food.  Only  one 
plea  she  made — that  she  might  go  with  Satyavan  when 
he  went  out  into  the  forest  to  cut  the  sacred  wood  for 
the  evening  sacrifice. 

Tenderly  he  remonstrated,  “ The  way  is  rough  and 
thy  little  feet  are  tender  ; the  mother’s  side  is  a safer 
place  for  thee.”  But  still  she  pleaded,  “I  cannot  let 
thee  go  unless  I am  with  thee,”  and  Satyavan  looked 
down  into  the  depths  of  her  tearful  eyes,  that  looked 
back  love  and  tenderness  into  his  own.  Then  said  he, 
“ Surely  thou  shalt  go  and  make  the  dark  wood  glad 
with  thy  sweet  presence.” 

Cheerily  he  set  out  ax  in  hand  through  the  wilder- 
ness, making  a path  for  the  little  feet  that  patiently 
followed  his  own.  The  morning  was  wondrously  bright  ; 
flower-laden  trees  stood  here  and  there  along  the  path- 
way ; gigantic  climbers  grew  in  the  thickets  in  great 
profusion,  interlacing  the  smaller  trees  and  even  piling 
their  gorgeous  blossoms  upon  their  heads.  The  sunlight 
lay  upon  the  surface  of  the  little  lake  near  their  home, 
and  bright  water  birds  hovered  above  the  reeds  and 
rushes,  or  settled  down  amidst  the  white  lilies  and  fra- 
grant lotus  cups  near  the  water’s  edge.  Away  in  the 
distance  the  Himalayas  lifted  their  snowy  brows  into 
the  blue  heavens  and  reflected  the  sun’s  rays  from  their 
icy  peaks.  “ Is  it  not  beautiful  ? ” said  Satyavan, 
pointing  to  the  landscape  around  him,  or  directing  her 


33G 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


attention  to  the  strange  wild  flowers  springing  from  the 
mosses  at  their  feet.  And  smiling  the  little  wife  re- 
plied, even  while  the  fearful  dread  around  her  heart 
almost  stayed  its  beating. 

Afar  from  home,  they  gathered  fruits  and  flowers 
for  the  evening  sacrifice,  and  all  the  while  the  anxious 
wife  watched  with  aching  heart  every  look  and  motion 
of  her  lord.  He  struck  the  tree  to  gather  sacred  wood, 
and  blow  after  blow  of  his  ax  echoed  through  the  forest. 
At  last  he  reeled  in  sudden  pain  and  cried,  “ I cannot 
work ; ” then  falling  at  her  feet  he  fainted  there. 
Quickly  the  beloved  head  was  laid  upon  her  lap,  and 
eagerly  she  strove  by  chafing  the  temples  and  tired 
hands  to  bring  the  life  tide  back.  She  knew  it  was 
the  day  of  fate,  but  still  she  could  not  yield. 

Suddenly  at  her  side  she  saw  a fearful  shape,  that 
was  neither  god  nor  man — tall  and  dark  with  visage 
grim,  he  looked  down  pitilessly  upon  them  both.  His 
garments  were  crimson  as  if  with  blood ; his  cruel  eyes 
glowed  like  burning  coals  in  their  deep  sockets.  In 
one  hand  he  bore  a long  black  noose  and  bent  over 
Satyavan.  As  the  spectre  leaned  above  her  husband, 
the  trembling  princess  laid  the  head  tenderly  upon  the 
ground,  and  springing  up  reverently  folded  her  hands 
in  supplication,  and  prayed  to  know  who  he  was  and 
why  he  came.  He  answered,  “ I am  Yama,  the  god  of 
death,  and  I am  come  to  bear  away  the  soul  of  Satya- 
van.” “But,”  pleaded  the  wife,  “ ’tis  thy  messengers 
that  bear  away  the  souls  of  men.  Why  is  it,  mighty 
chief,  that  thou  hast  come?”  “Because  Prince  Satya- 
van was  the  grandest,  noblest  of  his  race,”  replied  the 
god,  “ and  none  save  Yama’s  self  was  worthy  to  bear 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  337 

his  soul  away/’  and  bending  lower  still  he  fitted  the 
dreadful  noose  and  drew  out  the  soul  of  Satyavfm 
then  silently  he  strode  away  toward  the  southland 
with  his  prize,  leaving  the  poor  body  pale  and  cold, 
with  life  and  grace  and  beauty  gone. 

But  the  stricken  princess  followed  him.  With  her 
hands  folded  in  supplication  she  hastened  on  behind 
this  fearful  King  of  Death.  At  last  he  turned.  “ Go 
back,”  said  he,  “why  dost  thou  follow  in  my  steps? 
No  mortal  e’er  has  dared  to  come  whither  I shall  go. 
Go  back  and  perform  the  funeral  rites  for  thy  dead 
lord.” 

But  she  replied : “ Wherever  my  lord  is  borne, 

there  I shall  surely  go ; he  is  my  life,  my  all  ; I cannot 
leave  him,  and  I must  go  with  thee.  By  reason  of  my 
wifely  love  thou  wilt  let  me  come.”  And  still  she  fol- 
lowed on  until  the  King  of  Death  himself  felt  pity  for 
the  faithful  wife,  and  turning  back  he  said  : “ Return, 

my  child,  to  life  and  health.  Thy  wifely  love  is  good, 
but  the  kingdom  of  Yama  is  not  the  place  for  thee. 
Still,  I will  grant  thee  any  boon  that  thou  dost  crave, 
except  this  life  that  I am  bearing  away.”  Then  said 
Savitri,  “ Let  the  blind  and  banished  king,  my  hus- 
band’s father,  have  both  his  sight  and  throne  restored.” 
“ It  shall  be  so,”  returned  the  god.  “ I grant  thee 
this  because  of  thy  purity  and  fidelity  ; but  now  turn 
back  ; our  way  is  long  and  dark,  thy  little  feet  are 
already  weary,  and  thou  wilt  die  upon  the  road.” 

“ I am  not  weary,”  said  Savitri,  “ I cannot  tire 

i According  to  Hindu  theology  the  soul  of  a dead  man  is  about  the 
size  of  the  human  thumb.  At  death  a hole  should  be  dug  northeastward 
of  the  fire  where  the  soul  can  wait  until  the  gross  body  is  burned,  and 
then  emerging  be  carried  with  the  smoke  to  heaven. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


while  I am  near  to  Satyavan.  Wherever  he  is  borne, 
there  the  loyal  wife  must  go.”  And  the  tireless  feet 
toiled  patiently  on  behind  the  King  of  Death  until  he 
turned  again  and  said  : “ Darkness  is  coming  on,  soon 

thou  canst  not  find  thy  way  alone.  I will  give  to  thee 
another  boon — anything  except  this  life,  and  then  thou 
must  return.”  Quickly  the  princess  thought  of  her 
own  sire,  whose  only  child  now  followed  Death — 
thought  of  his  lonely  home  and  coming  age,  and  she 
said,  “Give  to  my  father  princely  sons  to  bear  his 
royal  name.  This  is  the  boon  I crave,  oh,  mighty 
one.”  “So  shall  it  be,”  returned  the  king,  “and  now 
I have  granted  thy  wishes,  go  back  to  life  and  light.” 
But  she  only  answered  plaintively,  “ I cannot  go,  great 
king.  I cannot  leave  my  lord.  Thou  hast  taken  him 
and  my  heart  is  in  thy  hand.  I must  surely  come 
with  thee.” 

Darkness  came  slowly  down  in  the  dense  forest,  and 
her  tender  feet  were  torn  with  thorns  and  cut  with  the 
sharp  stones  of  the  rugged  path.  Hungry  wolves 
and  jackals  pressed  around  her,  while  night  birds 
spread  their  black  wings  above  her  and  startled  the 
silence  with  their  cries.  Trembling  with  terror  and 
faint  with  grief  and  hunger,  she  still  pursued  her  way. 
Her  tear-blinded  eyes  could  no  longer  see  the  terrible 
shape  she  followed,  but  she  heard  his  footfalls  and 
almost  felt  his  fearful  strides,  for  it  seemed  that  every 
step  came  down  upon  her  bleeding  heart. 

At  last  they  came  to  a cavern,  dark  and  damp  as 
death  itself,  and  here  again  Yama  turned  upon  the 
pitiful  figure  in  the  darkness  behind  him,  and  this 
time  he  fiercely  demanded,  “ Art  thou  still  upon  my 


LEGEXDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA.  339 

track  ? If  thou  wert  not  so  true  and  good,  I would 
take  thee  in  my  arms,  and  my  worms  should  feed  upon 
thy  beauty ; but  thou  art  truth  itself,  and  I will  give 
to  thee,  poor  child,  one  more  boon.  In  pity  for  thy 
grief  I will  give  thee  anything  thou  wilt — except  this 
life  within  my  hand.”  Then  answered  Savitrl,  “ Give 
me  children — the  sons  of  Satyavan.  Let  me  bear  to 
him  brave,  loyal  heirs  of  his  goodness  and  his  truth.” 

Death  grimly  smiled.  Should  he  be  conquered  yet 
by  this  little  Hindu  wife  ? But  he  answered  : “Yama 
hath  promised  thee,  and  I must  grant  thee  even  this.” 
Then  with  rapid  strides  he  entered  the  great  vault  of 
the  cavern,  while  the  startled  bats  and  owls  flapped 
their  dark  wings  and  made  the  place  more  hideous 
with  their  cries.  But  still  he  heard  the  patter  of 
patient  feet  behind  him,  and  his  burning  eyeballs 
blazed  in  the  darkness  upon  poor  Savitrl. 

“Go  back,”  he  said.  “Thou  shalt  return;  I will 
bear  no  longer  with  thy  persistent  following!”  “I 
would  go  back,  oh,  mighty  Yama,  if  I could,”  wailed 
the  weary  wife,  “ but  in  your  hands  you  carry  my  own 
life.  ’Tis  only  my  helpless  frame  that  follows  thee, 
and  now  I am  so  weak  with  grief  and  fear  that  I 
must  come  nearer  to  Satyavan  ; ” and  the  tired  head 
drooped  upon  the  dark,  cold  hand  of  Death,  close  to 
the  life  she  craved.  The  pitiless  king  felt  the  soft 
touch  of  tear-wet  cheeks  and  clinging  hair,  and  again 
his  cruel  heart  was  softened  by  her  faithful  love. 
“Thou  art  innocence  itself,  and  tenderness  and  truth,” 
said  Yama.  “ Thou  hast  taught  me  lessons  new  of 
woman’s  fidelity.  Ask  any  boon  thou  wilt,  and  it 
shall  be  thine.” 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


Then  at  his  feet  she  fell  in  grateful  joy  ancl  ten- 
derly caressed  them.  “ This  time,  oh,  king,”  she  cried, 
“thou  hast  excepted  nothing,  and  I ask  not  wealth,  nor 
throne,  nor  heaven  itself.  I crave  my  heart,  my  life — 
give  me  my  Satyavan ! ” The  fire  in  his  eyes  beamed 
more  softly,  and  the  light  in  them  was  almost  tender 
as  he  said  : “ Fair  queen,  thou  art  the  brightest  gem 

of  womankind.  Here,  take  thy  Satyavan.  Saved  by 
his  peerless  wife,  he  long  shall  live  and  reign  with 
her,  and  his  line  shall  be  upheld  by  princely  sons  who 
shall  call  thee  mother.  Go  now,  my  child,  time  hasteth, 
and  long  hast  thou  been  with  me.”  Then  turning 
gloomily  away,  he  went  down — down  into  the  darkness 
of  the  cavern.  But  the  glad  wife,  holding  her  precious 
treasure  close  to  her  heart,  retraced  her  steps  back 
through  the  darkness  of  cavern  and  wood,  her  torn  feet 
climbing  the  ascending  pathway,  fearing  nothing,  know- 
ing nothing,  save  that  in  her  arms  she  carried  her  be- 
loved. 

It  was  dark  in  the  forest,  where  the  dense  foliage 
almost  shut  out  the  light  of  noontime,  but  it  was 
lighter  here  where  only  little  groves  of  sacred  fig  trees 
and  thickets  of  flowering  shrubs  obscured  the  vision, 
and  traces  of  gold  and  crimson  still  lingered  round  the 
setting  sun.  Thankful  for  the  light,  she  hastened  to 
where  the  body  lay,  and  raising  the  head  pressed  it 
tenderly  again  to  her  bosom,  and  gently  wooed  the 
life  tide  back  to  heart  and  pulse.  Soft  and  warm  his 
hand  became,  and  his  lips  moved  to  speak  a tender 
word  that  had  died  upon  them  when  Yama  came. 
The  evening  light  was  gone,  and  darkness  came  down 
with  velvet  touch  around  them,  but  the  glorious  stars 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  MAHA-BHARATA. 


341 


came  out  and  the  southern  constellations  flashed  like 
crown  jewels  above  the  living  prince  and  his  loyal 
wife. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  BHAGAYAD-GITA. 

EVIDENTLY  AN  INTERPOLATION — AGE  OF  THE  GITA — ITS 
ORIGIN — “THE  DIVINE  SONG  ”— ! SELF-ADULATION  OF 
KRISHNA — DIVINE  FORM  OF  KRISHNA. 

T EAYIXGr  the  Maha-bharata  proper,  we  will  now 
' turn  our  attention  to  the  Bhagavad-glta,  which 
although  it  now  forms  a part  of  the  great  Epic  is  inde- 
jiendent  of  it. 

While  the  armies  of  the  great  war  were  drawn  up 
in  close  proximity  to  each  other,  impatiently  awaiting 
the  order  to  charge,  Krishna  is  represented  as  deliver- 
ing to  Arjuna  a long  philosophical  and  religious  dis- 
course, called  the  Bhagavad-glta,  or  “Divine  Song.” 

It  is  clearly  an  interpolation,  like  many  others1 
which  have  been  placed  in  the  Maha-bharata  by  the 
more  modern  compilers,  and  scholars  can  only  wonder 
why  the  Brahmans  who  placed  it  in  the  text  could  not 
see  the  impropriety  of  throwing  in  a long  discourse  of 

i The  charioteer  of  the  blind  Maha-raja  is  represented  as  entertaining  his 
master  during  the  exciting  battle— not  by  a description  of  the  fight,  but  with 
a long  dissertation  upon  the  geography  of  the  earth,  and  especially  of  India. 
The  venerable  Bhishma,  after  receiving  a mortal  wound,  is  not  permitted  to 
die,  but  must  lie  for  many  weeks  upon  the  points  of  upturned  arrows,  in 
order  to  deliver  to  the  king  a lengthy  speech  on  the  duties  of  rajas,  etc. 
No  effort  has  been  spared  by  the  later  compilers  to  convert  the  story  of  the 
great  war  into  a medium  for  Brahmanical  teaching,  and  sometimes  their 
interpolations  are  so  skilfully  interwoven  with  the  older  text  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  separate  them. 


342 


343 


THE  BHAGATAD-GITA. 

eighteen  chapters  on  the  very  eve  of  an  exciting  battle. 
Only  the  vivid  imagination  of  a Hindu  would  guess 
that  any  man,  god,  or  demon  would,  when  drawn  up 
in  his  chariot,  between  the  combatants,  spend  the  en- 
tire day  in  philosophical  discourse  when  his  impatient 
troops  were  marshaled  in  battle  array,  with  drums  beat- 
ing, banners  flying,  and  soldiers  shouting,  while  even 
the  horses  were  apparently  eager  for  the  fray,  and, 
indeed,  according  to  Telang,  after  the  signal  had  been 
given  and  the  battle  had  actually  begun. 

AGE  OF  THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA. 

The  author  of  this  work  is  unknown,  but  he  was 
evidently  a Brahman,  and  nominally  a Vaishnava.  It 
was  inserted  into  the  Maha-bharata  at  a comparatively 
early  period,  but  there  is  considerable  discussion  among 
scholars  in  reference  to  its  exact  age.  Dr.  Burr  says 
that  “at  the  time  of  its  first  translation  into  English 
an  immense  antiquity  was  claimed  for  the  Bhagavad- 
gitii,  but  it  is  now  generally  admitted  to  he  an  inter- 
polation into  the  Maha-bharata,  and  to  have  been  pro- 
duced subsequently  to  the  rise,  not  only  of  Christianity, 
but  of  Krishnaism  itself.”  Richard  Collins,  in  a paper 
read  before  the  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain, 
takes  the  position  that  the  Bhagavad-gita  was  written 
after  the  third  century  of  the  Christian  era.  Prof. 
Max  Muller  places  it  in  what  he  terms  the  “Renais- 
sance period  of  Indian  Literature,”  the  commencement 
of  which  he  gives  at  about  A.  D.  300,  while  Sir 
Monier  Williams  speaks  of  it  as  being  “a  compara- 
tively modern  episode  of  the  Maha-bharata,”  and 
assigns  the  author  to  one  of  the  early  centuries  of 


344 


TIIE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  Christian  era.  We  might  also  quote  Prof.  Weber, 
of  Berlin,  Prof.  Lassen,  and  Dr.  Lorinser,  who  as- 
sign it  to  about  the  third  century  A.  1).  ; but  a 
repetition  of  authorities  is  useless,  as  it  is  abun- 
dantly proved  to  belong  to  the  Christian  era. 

ORIGIN  OF  TIIE  GITA. 

This  work  appears  to  belong  in  Sanskrit  literature 
to  the  family  of  Upanishads.  Its  philosophy,  its 
strong  pantheism  and  radical  doctrines  of  transmigra- 
tion, and  its  literary  style  all  point  to  the  one  conclu- 
sion that  it  has  been  derived  largely  from  the  Upan- 
ishads. This  view  is  well  supported  by  the  version  of 
the  Cfita  which  was  published  in  Bombay  in  1782. 
There  is  a stanza  in  this  edition  which  says  : “ The 

Upanishads  are  the  cows ; Krishna,  the  milkman  ; Ar- 
juna,  the  calf;  and  the  milk  is  the  nectar-like  Gita.” 
This  statement  sufficiently  illustrates  the  tradition 
among  the  Hindus  that  the  work  is  derived  largely 
from  the  ancient  Upanishads,  and  contains  the  essence 
of  their  teaching.1 

THE  “ DIVINE  SONG” 

begins  with  the  regrets  of  Arjuna  at  seeing  his  breth- 
ren arrayed  in  lines  of  battle,  waiting  the  word  of 
command  to  enter  upon  a fratricidal  war.  Addressing 
his  charioteer,  Krishna,  he  says  : 

“ Beholding  these  my  relatives  arrayed 
Before  my  eyes  in  serried  line  of  battle 

l The  native  scholar  Kashinath  Trimbak  Telang  is  naturally  inclined  to 
think  that  the  Gita  may  have  been  a part  of  the  original  Maha-bharata, 
although  he  says  “it  is  with  a feeling  of  painful  diffidence  that  we  express 
ourselves  regarding  the  soundness  of  any  conclusion  whatever.”  (Int. 
Bhagavad-gita,  p.  5.) 


THE  BHAGAYAD-GITA. 


345 


Preparing  for  the  deadly  fray,  my  limbs 
Are  all  relaxed,  my  blood  dries  up,  a tremor 
Palsies  my  frame,  the  hairs  upon  my  skin 
Bristle  with  horror.  All  my  body  burns 
As  if  with  fever,  and  my  mind  whirls  round 
So  that  I cannot  stand  upright  nor  hold 
The  bow,  Gandiva,  slipping  from  my  hand. 

I cannot — will  not — fight.  0 mighty  Krishna, 

I seek  not  victory,  I seek  no  kingdom. 

What  shall  we  do  with  royal  pomp  and  power, 

What  with  enjoyments  or  with  life  itself. 

When  we  have  slaughtered  all  our  kindred  here?”1 

Krishna  makes  a long  reply  to  this,  in  which  he 
exhorts  Arjuna  to  do  his  duty  as  a soldier,  regardless 
of  results.  He  repeatedly  urges  him  to  fight  without 
wasting  regret  over  the  necessary  slaughter  of  his  rela- 
tives. 

“ Better  to  do  the  duty  of  one’s  caste. 

Though  bad  and  ill-performed  and  fraught  with  evil. 
Than  undertake  the  business  of  another. 

However  good  it  be.  For  better  far 

Abandon  life  at  once  than  not  fulfil 

One’s  own  appointed  work  ; another’s  duty 

Brings  danger  to  the  man  who  meddles  with  it. 

Perfection  is  alone  attained  by  him 

Who  swerves  not  from  the  business  of  his  caste.”2 

The  imperative  duty  of  loyalty  to  one’s  caste,  which 
is  here  inculcated,  is  repeated  in  various  portions  of 
the  poem. 


l Williams’  trans.  Ind.  Wis.,  p.  139. 


2Ind.  Wis.  p.,  140. 


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The  first  section  of  the  Bhagavad-gita,  or  Divine 
Song,  dwells  chiefly  on  the  Yoga  system,  or  intense 
concentration  of  the  mind  upon  one  subject,  claiming 
that  the  end  and  aim  of  asceticism  is  to  enable  man 
to  embrace  the  doctrine  of  pantheism  and  realize  that 
God  is  everything  and  everything  is  God. 

Arjuna  is  exhorted  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  his  war- 
rior caste,  and  proceed  to  kill  his  relatives,  on  the 
ground  that  death  is  merely  a transmigration  from  one 
form  to  another. 

“ The  wise  grieve  not  for  the  departed,  nor  for  those 
who  yet  survive. 

Ne’er  was  the  time  when  I was  not,  nor  thou,  nor 
yonder  chiefs,  and  ne’er 

Shall  be  the  time  when  all  of  us  shall  be  not.  As  the 
embodied  soul 

In  this  corporeal  frame  moves  swiftly  on  through  boy- 
hood, youth,  and  age. 

So  will  it  pass  through  other  forms  hereafter — be  not 
grieved  thereat. 

The  man  whom  pain  and  pleasure,  heat  and  cold  af- 
fect not,  he  is  fit 

For  immortality.  Whatever  is  not  cannot  be ; what- 
ever is 

Can  never  cease  to  be.  . . . Know  this — the  Being 
that  spread  this  universe 

Is  indestructible.  Who  can  destroy  the  Indestructible  ? 
These  bodies  that  enclose  the  everlasting  soul,  inscrut- 
able. 

Immortal,  Dave  an  end ; but  he  who  thinks  the  soul 
can  be  destroyed. 


THE  BHAGAYAD-GlTA. 


347 


And  lie  who  deems  it  a destroyer,  are  alike  mistaken ; 
it 

Kills  not,  and  is  not  killed  ; it  is  not  born,  nor  doth 
it  ever  die  ; 

It  has  no  past  nor  future — unproduced,  unchanging, 
infinite  ; he 

Who  knows  it  fixed,  unborn,  imperishable,  indissoluble. 
How  can  that  man  destroy  another,  or  extinguish 
aught  below  ? 

As  men  abandon  old  and  threadbare  clothes  to  put  on 
others  new. 

So  casts  the  embodied  soul  its  worn-out  frame  to  enter 
other  forms. 

No  dart  can  pierce  it  ; flame  cannot  consume  it ; water 
wets  it  not. 

Nor  scorching  breezes  dry  it — indestructible,  incapable 
Of  heat  or  moisture  or  aridity,  eternal,  all-pervading, 
Steadfast,  immovable,  perpetual,  yet  imperceptible. 
Incomprehensible,  unfading,  deathless,  unimaginable.”1 

The  transmigration  of  souls  is  here  clearly  taught. 
Krishna  in  another  paragraph  charges  Arjuna  with 
cowardice,  and  asks:  “How  comes  it  that  this  delu- 

sion which  excludes  from  heaven  and  occasions  infamy, 
has  overtaken  you  in  this  place  of  peril  P Be  not 
effeminate  ....  It  is  not  worthy  of  you.  Cast 
off  this  base  weakness  of  heart  and  arise.” 

Arjuna  still  pleading  the  humane  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, Krishna  repeatedly  teaches  that  the  slaying  of 
his  relatives  is  an  innocent  act,  from  the  fact  that  the 
soul  cannot  die.  “ The  destruction  of  that  inexhaust- 


Ind.  Wis.,  p.  141. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ible  principle  none  can  bring  about,  therefore,  do  en- 
gage in  battle,  0 son  of  Bharata  ....  for  to 
one  that  is  born  death  is  certain,  and  to  one  that  dies 
birth  is  certain  ....  therefore  you  ought  not 
to  grieve  for  any  being.  You  ought  not  to  falter,  for 
there  is  nothing  better  for  one  of  the  warrior  caste 
than  a righteous  battle — an  open  door  to  heaven.  But 
if  you  will  not  fight  this  righteous  battle,  then  you 
will  have  abandoned  your  own  duty  and  your  fame, 
and  will  incur  sin.  All  beings,  too,  will  tell  of  your 
everlasting  infamy,  and  to  one  who  has  been  honored 
infamy  is  a greater  evil  than  death.”1 

SELF-ADULATION  OF  KRISHNA. 

The  second  division  of  the  poem  teaches  the  pan- 
theistic doctrines  of  the  Vedanta  more  directly, 
Krishna  in  the  plainest  language  claiming  adoration 
as  being  one  with  the  great  universal  spirit  pervad- 
ing, and  also  constituting,  the  universe.  For  the 
twofold  purpose  of  enforcing  his  arguments  and  com- 
pelling Arjuna  to  fight,  and  also  to  glorify  himself, 
Krishna  proceeds  as  follows:  “I  have  passed  through 

many  births,  0 Arjuna  ! and  you  also.  I know  them 
all,  but  you  do  not  know  them.  Even  though  I am 
unborn  and  inexhaustible  in  my  essence ; even  though 
I am  lord  of  all  beings,  still  I take  up  the  control 
of  my  own  nature  and  am  born  by  means  of  my 
delusive  power.  Whensoever  piety  languishes  and  im- 
piety is  in  the  ascendant,  I create  myself.  I am 
born  age  after  age  for  the  protection  of  the  good  ; 
for  the  destruction  of  evil-doers  and  the  establishment 


l See  Bhagavadgita,  Telang’s  trails.,  p.  46. 


THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA. 


349 


of  piety  ....  I am  the  sacred  verse.  I,  too, 
am  the  sacrificial  butter,  and  I the  fire,  I the  offering. 
I am  the  father  of  this  universe ; the  mother,  the 
creator,  the  grandsire ; the  tiling  to  be  known,  the 
means  of  sanctification,  the  syllable  Om  ; 1 . . . the 

goal,  the  sustainer,  the  lord,  the  supervisor,  residence, 
the  asylum,  the  friend,  the  source,  receptacle,  and 
the  inexhaustible  seed I am  the  thun- 

derbolt among  weapons ; the  wish-giving  cow  among 

cows Among  serpents  I am  Vasuki ; among 

Naga  snakes  I am  Ananta Among  demons, 

too,  I am  Pralhada I am  the  wind  among 

those  that  blow.”2  There  are  many  pages  of  the 
wildest  self-praise,  after  which  Krishna  informs  Arjuna 
that  “there  is  no  end  to  my  divine  emanations,”  the 
extent  of  which  has  been  only  partially  described. 

DIVINE  FORM  OF  KRISHNA. 

He  then  exhibited  himself  in  his  divine  form,  hav- 
ing many  eyes  and  mouths  and  faces  and  weapons. 
Arjuna  stood  before  him  with  bowed  head,  his  hair 
standing  on  end,  and  with  joined  hands  he  said : 
“ Oh,  god  ! I see  your  body,  the  gods,  as  also  all  the 
groups  of  various  beings : and  the  lord  Brahman 
seated  on  his  lotus  seat,  and  all  the  sages  and  celes- 
tial snakes,  I see  you,  who  are  of  countless  forms, 
possessed  of  many  arms,  stomachs,  mouths,  and  eyes 
on  all  sides.  And,  oh,  lord  of  the  universe  ! oh,  you 
of  all  forms  ! I do  not  see  your  end,  or  middle,  or 
beginning. 

1 The  syllable  Om  is  said  to  comprise  all  the  deities  of  heaven,  earth,  and 
sky. 

2 Bhagavad  gita,  Telang's  trans.,  pp.  58-89. 


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TIIE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


“ I see  you  bearing  a coronet  and  a mace  and  a 
discus — a mass  of  glory,  brilliant  on  all  sides,  diffi- 
cult to  look  at,  having  on  all  sides  the  effulgence  of 

a blazing  tire  or  sun,  and  indefinable I 

see  you  void  of  beginning,  middle,  end — of  infinite 
power ; of  unnumbered  arms,  having  the  sun  and 
moon  for  eyes ; having  a mouth  like  a blazing  fire, 
and  heating  the  universe  with  your  radiance.  For 
this  space  between  heaven  and  earth,  and  all  the 
quarters  are  pervaded  by  you  alone.  Looking  at 
this  wonderful  and  terrible  form  of  yours,  oh,  higli- 
souled  one!  the  three  worlds  are  affrighted.  For  here 

these  groups  of  gods  are  entering  into  you 

Seeing  your  mighty  form,  with  many  mouths  and 
eyes ; with  many  arms,  thighs,  and  feet ; with  many 
stomachs,  and  fearful  with  many  jaws,  all  people,  and 
I likewise,  are  much  alarmed,  oh,  you  of  mighty  arms  ! 
Seeing  you,  oh,  Vishnu  ! touching  the  skies,  radiant, 
possessed  of  many  hues,  with  a gaping  mouth  and 
with  large  blazing  eyes,  I am  much  alarmed  in  my 
inmost  self,  and  feel  no  courage,  no  tranquillity. 

“ Seeing  your  mouths,  terrible  by  reason  of  the 
jaws  and  resembling  the  fire  of  destruction,  I cannot 
recognize  the  various  directions ; I feel  no  comfort. 
Be  gracious,  oh,  lord  of  gods  ! who  pervadest  the  uni- 
verse. And  all  these  sons  of  Dhrita-rashtra,  together 
with  all  the  bands  of  kings  and  Brahmans,  and  Drona, 
and  this  charioteer’s  son  likewise,  together  with  our 
principal  warriors  also,  are  rapidly  entering  your 
mouths,  fearful  and  horrified  by  reason  of  the  rug- 
gedness and  distortion  of  your  face  and  jaws.  And 
some  with  their  heads  smashed  are  seen  to  be  stuck 


THE  BHAGAVAD-GITA. 


351 


in  the  spaces  between  the  teeth.  As  the  many  rapid 
currents  of  a river’s  waters  run  towards  the  sea  alone, 
so  do  these  heroes  of  the  human  world  enter  your 
mouths  blazing  all  around.  As  butterflies  with  in- 
creased velocity  enter  a blazing  fire  to  their  destruc- 
tion, so,  too,  do  these  people  enter  your  mouths,  with 
increased  velocity  only  to  their  destruction.  Swallow- 
ing all  these  people,  you  are  licking  them  over  and 
over  again  from  all  sides  witli  your  blazing  mouths. 
Your  fierce  splendors,  oh,  Vishnu  ! filling  the  whole 
universe  with  their  effulgence,  are  heating  it.  Tell 

me  who  you  are  in  this  fierce  form Be 

gracious ! I wish  to  know  you,  primeval  one,  for  I 
do  not  understand  your  actions.” 

Then  Krishna  said  : “ I am  death,  the  destroyer 

of  worlds,  fully  developed,  and  I am  now  active  about 
the  overthrow  of  the  worlds.  Even  without  you,  the 
warriors  standing  in  the  adverse  hosts  shall  cease  to 
be.  Therefore,  be  up  ; obtain  glory,  and,  vanquish- 
ing  your  foes,  enjoy  a prosperous  kingdom.  All  these 
have  been  already  killed  by  me.  Be  only  the  instru- 
ment. Drona  and  Bhishma  and  other  valiant  war- 
riors whom  I have  killed  do  you  kill.  Be  not  alarmed. 
Do  fight,  and  in  the  battle  you  will  conquer  your 
foes.”1 

Arjuna  stood  in  his  chariot,  clad  in  golden  armor 
and  wearing  the  bright  coronet  which  had  been  given 
him  by  the  god  Indra,  On  either  side  of  him  were 
the  opposing  armies,  while  arrows  were  flying  through 
the  air.  But  the  hero  of  the  great  war,  “trembling, 
with  joined  hands,  bowed  down  and  sorely  afraid,  and 

i Bhagavad-gita,  Telang’s  trans.,  pp.  93-130. 


352 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


with  throat  choked  up  again  spoke  to  Krishna  after 
saluting  him.”  He  still  pleaded  the  humane  side  of 
the  question,  but  in  vain. 

Then  follow  many  pages  of  questions  and  long  dis- 
courses on  the  spiritual  phases  of  Brahmanical  teach- 
ing, at  the  end  of  which  Arjuna  decides  to  fight  and 
declares  that  he  is  ready  to  do  the  bidding  of  Krishna, 
and  thereupon  enters  the  battle. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  “Divine  Song”  is 
quite  foreign  to  the  style  and  also  to  the  subject  mat- 
ter of  the  Maha-bharata,  so  much  So,  indeed,  that  Sir 
Monier  Williams  claims  that  its  proper  place  in  the 
arrangement  of  Sanskrit  literature  would  be  at  the 
close  of  the  subject  of  philosophy.  It  contains  many 
sentiments  which  have  evidently  been  borrowed  from 
the  Upanishads,  and  like  some  of  the  more  modern 
writings  of  this  class  the  Bhagavad-glta  is  largely  an 
effort  to  reconcile  the  various  systems  of  philosophy 
by  combining  them  with  one  another. 

The  next  important  division  of  Sanskrit  literature 
which  claims  our  attention,  is  the  Puranas.  These 
works  are  still  later  and  belong  to  mediaeval  times,  but 
they  are  important  as  showing  the  development  of 
Krishna  worship.  It  is  claimed  that  they  were  de- 
signed to  teach  the  doctrines  of  Hinduism  in  their 
simplest  form. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE  PURANAS. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  PURANAS — SIGNIFICATION  OF  THE 
NAME — THEIR  TEACHING — COMPARATIVELY  MODERN 
ORIGIN — THE  HARIVANSA — THE  BRAHMA  PURANA — 
THE  PADMA  OR  GOLDEN  LOTUS — THE  VAISHNAVA  OR 
VISHNU— BIRTH  OF  KRISHNA — WIVES  AND  CHILDREN 
OF  KRISHNA — DEATH  OF  KRISHNA — THE  SAIVA — SRI 
BHAGAVATA — THE  MARKANDEYA — THE  AGNI — THE 
VAYU — THE  BIIAVISHYA — THE  BRAHMA  VAIVARTA — - 
THE  LINGA — THE  VAR  AH  A — THE  SKANDA — THE  VAM- 
ANA — THE  KURMA — THE  MATSYA — THE  GARUDA — 
THE  BRAHMANDA. 

MONG  the  later  forms  of  Hindu  literature  are 


the  Puranas,  which  present  a comparatively 
modern  field  for  investigation.  They  are  eighteen  in 
number,  besides  several  smaller  productions  of  a sim- 
ilar kind  called  Upa  or  Minor  Puranas,  the  general 
character  of  which  is  very  much  like  the  larger  works. 

The  Maha  or  principal  Puranas  contain  about  six- 
teen hundred  thousand  lines,  and  when  we  consider 
that  each  minor  work  also  contains  many  chapters,  we 
realize  something  of  the  labor  required  to  examine, 
index,  and  translate  this  enormous  mass  of  literature. 

The  Hindus  themselves  claim  (in  the  Padma  Pa- 
rana), that  these  books  “ consisted  originally  of  one 


353 


354 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


thousand  million  stanzas,  but  four  hundred  thousand 
of  them  were  thought  sufficient  for  the  instruction  of 
man,  the  rest  being  preserved  by  the  gods.”  These 
four  hundred  thousand  stanzas,  however,  are  equal  to 
sixteen  hundred  thousand  lines,  and  the  student  cer- 
tainly has  reason  to  be  grateful  that  the  gods  kept  the 
greater  portion  of  this  literature  for  their  own  private 
benefit. 

The  theology  and  cosmogony  of  these  books  are 
largely  drawn  from  the  earlier  writings ; the  doctrines 
which  they  teach,  the  institutions  which  they  describe, 
and  a part  of  the  legends  which  they  relate  belong 
to  a period  long  prior  to  their  own  compilation. 

SIGNIFICATION  OF  THE  NAME,  AND  OBJECT  OF  THEIR 
COMPILATION. 

The  name  Pur  ana  signifies  old  traditional  story. 
These  narratives  are  said  to  have  been  compiled  by 
Krishna-dvaipayana  (the  dark-colored  and  island  born), 
the  arranger  of  the  Vedas  and  the  Maha-bharata. 
The  object  of  their  compilation  seems  to  have  been 
the  checking  of  the  tide  of  Buddhism  by  stimulating 
the  worship  of  Vishnu  and  Siva.  In  the  Maha-bha- 
rata these  deities  had  been  regarded  as  but  little  more 
than  great  heroes,  while  in  the  Puranas  they  are  rep- 
resented as  rival  gods. 

This  department  of  Sanskrit  literature  claims  to 
teach  mythology  and  cosmogony,  geography  and  as- 
tronomy, chronology  and  grammar,  and  sometimes 
even  anatomy  and  medicine,  as  well  as  to  give  the 
genealogies  of  kings ; but  the  main  object  is  evidently 
the  exaltation  of  Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Siva,  in  their 


THE  PURANAS.  355 

various  manifestations.  The  Puranas  are  sometimes 
called  a fifth  Veda,  having  been  designed  to  teach  the 
Vedic  doctrines  to  women  and  the  lower  caste  men, 
who  cannot  understand  the  more  complicated  works. 

THEIR  TEACHING. 

The  pantheism  of  the  Puranas  is  one  of  their  in- 
variable characteristics,  but  the  particular  divinity  who 
is  at  once  the  source,  the  substance  and  the  absorber 
of  all  things,  varies  according  to  the  individual  choice 
of  the  worshiper.  According  to  Sanskrit  writers,  these 
books  treat  of  the  “creation  and  renovation  of  the 
universe,  the  division  of  time,  the  institutes  of  law 
and  religion,  the  genealogy  of  the  patriarchal  families, 
and  the  dynasties  of  kings.”  The  historians  were 
eager,  therefore,  to  learn  their  contents. 

Sir  William  Jones  and  others  began  the  Herculean 
task  by  the  employment  of  Hindu  professors,  or  pan- 
dits, to  extract  such  passages  as  seemed  most  likely 
to  give  the  information  sought ; but  the  pandits 
themselves  were  not  very  familiar  with  the  Puranas, 
and  the  extracts  being  necessarily  left  to  their  choice, 
European  scholars  had  no  means  of  knowing  whether 
they  had  made  wise  selections  or  not.  Another  diffi- 
culty was  the  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  pandits  to 
furnish  the  matter  which  was  described  and  paid  for, 
whether  it  could  be  found  in  their  sacred  books  or 
not. 

A good  illustration  of  the  risk  incurred  by  Euro- 
pean scholars  in  this  kind  of  second-hand  study  is  the 
well-known  case  of  Lieut.  Wilford,  who  was  so  cun- 
ningly deceived  by  the  pandits  (see  page  5),  and  the 


356 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


most  charitable  conclusion  that  one  can  come  to  in 
the  matter  is  that  M.  Jacolliot  was  victimized  in  the 
same  way.  Our  translators  soon  recognized  the  fact 
that  there  was  only  one  way  to  arrive  at  the  truth, 
and  the  close,  earnest  work  of  many  years  has  been 
productive  of  magnificent  results. 

It  is  true  that  so  far  as  chronology  and  direct  his- 
torical statements  are  concerned  the  Puranas  are  of 
little  or  no  value,  but  their  myths  and  legends  form 
correct  pictures  of  the  times  to  which  they  belong. 
They  give  us  a view  of  the  mythology  and  religion  of 
this  peculiar  people,  and  indirectly  reveal  much  of 
their  true  history.  They  were  probably  at  first  the 
traditionary  tales  of  the  poets,  who  were  at  once  the 
eulogists  and  historians  of  the  family.  But  with  the 
genealogies  many  myths  were  blended,  and  these  ma- 
terials were  woven  into  connected  form  by  later  writ- 
ers. To  the  mythology,  also,  systems  of  cosmogony, 
geography  and  astronomy  were  added.  After  this  the 
contending  sects  added  to  them  a mass  of  absurd  fic- 
tions, calculated  to  glorify  Krishna,  Siva,  or  any  other 
deity  who  happened  to  be  the  favorite  of  the  writer. 

COMPARATIVELY  MODERN  ORIGIN. 

The  Puranas  are  the  work  of  different  generations 
and  of  varied  circumstances,  the  nature  of  which  must 
be  conjectured  from  internal  evidence.  Probably  none 
of  them  assumed  the  form  in  which  we  find  them 
earlier  than  the  time  of  Sankara  Acarya,  who  flour- 
ished about  the  eighth  or  ninth  century.  Of  the 
Vaishnava  teachers,  Ramanuja  lived  in  the  twelfth 
century,  Madhwacharya  in  the  thirteenth,  and  Yal- 


THE  PURAXAS. 


35? 


labha  in  the  sixteenth,  and  the  different  Puranas 
seem  to  have  accompanied  or  followed  the  innovations 
of  these  men,  and  to  have  advocated  the  doctrines 
they  taught. 1 

They  are  acknowledged  by  all  scholars  to  be  the 
most  modern  of  the  sacred  books.  Says  Wilson:  “I 

believe  the  oldest  of  them  not  to  be  anterior  to  the 
eighth  or  ninth  century  of  our  era,  and  the  most  re- 
cent of  them  to  be  not  more  than  three  or  four  cen- 
turies old.”  2 Sir  Monier  Williams  says:  “ The  oldest 
we  possess  can  scarcely  date  from  a period  more  re- 
mote than  the  sixtli  or  seventh  century  of  our  era.”3 

THE  HARI-VAXSA 

is  a voluminous  work,  consisting  of  sixteen  thousand 
three  hundred  ^and  seventy-four  stanzas,  or  more  than 
the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  combined.  It  is  a supplement  to 
tbe  Maha-bharata.  “But,”  says  Wilson,  “it  may  be 
more  accurately  ranked  with  the  Puranic  compilations 
of  least  authenticity  and  latest  origin.”  It  is  chiefly 
occupied  with  the  adventures  of  Krishna,  but  it 
records  the  particulars  of  the  creation  of  the  world 
and  the  dynasties  of  kings.  The  compilation  is  care- 
less and  inaccurate,  but  has  been  carefully  translated 
into  French  by  M.  A.  Langlois.  It  represents  Krishna 
as  frightening  away  all  the  inhabitants  of  Yraja  by 
converting  the  hairs  of  his  body  into  hundreds  of 
wolves  to  harass  and  alarm  them. 

It  recounts  the  story  of  the  protection  of  the  cow- 
herds in  a storm  bv  Krishna,  who  lifted  a mountain 


iVish.  Pur.  Int.,  p.  10. 


2Rel.  of  Hin  . Vol.  II,  p.  68. 


3 Ind.  Wis.,  p.  403. 


358 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


and  held  it  over  their  heads  until  the  storm  passed 
over.  This  narrative  is  repeated  with  some  variations 
in  several  of  the  Puranas.  In  the  Blnigavata  he  is  rep- 
resented as  protecting  the  gopis  from  the  wrath  of 
Indra  by  holding  the  elevated  mountain  on  his  finger. 
It  appears  from  this  Purana  that  Indra  was  enraged 
with  the  gopis  and  tried  to  destroy  them  with  a 
deluge  on  account  of  their  love  for  Krishna,  who 
spent  his  time  with  them  and  finally  married  a 
thousand  of  them. 

The  Hari-vansa  also  contains  an  epitome  of  the 
Ramayana  and  many  other  legends,  which  are  repeated 
with  more  or  less  variation  in  the  different  Puranas.1 

THE  BRAHMA-PURANA. 

The  greater  portion  of  this  work  is  devoted  to 
legendary  and  local  descriptions  of  the  greatness  and 
sanctity  of  particular  temples  and  individual  deities. 
It  treats  especially  of  the  holiness  of  Utkala,  the 
country  which  includes  the  low  range  of  sand  hills, 
where  stands  the  celebrated  temple  of  Jagan-nath. 
It  also  gives  due  honor  to  the  worship  of  the  sun 
and  of  Mahades. 

The  adoration  of  Vishnu  as  Jagan-nath  began  to 
flourish  in  its  greatest  vigor  after  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury of  the  Christian  era.  The  worship  of  the  sun 
is  also  comparatively  modern,  the  great  temple  known 
as  the  Black  Pagoda  being  built  A.  D.  1241.  The 
internal  evidence  which  the  work  presents  therefore 
makes  it  very  probable  that  the  Brahma-purana  was 

i Unless  otherwise  indicated  extracts  from  these  works  will  be  made  from 
Wilson’s  translations. 


THE  PURANAS. 


359 


composed  in  the  fourteenth  or  fifteenth  century  after 
Christ.  It  must  have  been  after  the  worship  of 
Jagan-nath  predominated,  and  before  Siva  and  the 
worship  of  the  sun  had  fallen  into  disrepute. 

THE  PADMA-PURANA. 

“ That  which  contains  an  account  of  the  time 
when  the  world  was  a golden  lotus  (padrna)  and  of 
all  the  occurrences  of  that  time  is  therefore  called 
Padma  by  the  wise.”  It  treats  of  the  primary  crea- 
tion by  means  of  the  cosmic  egg,  as  in  Manu  ; the 
fanciful  formation  and  divisions  of  the  earth ; the 
genealogies  of  princes ; it  also  explains  the  means  by 
which  moksha,  or  final  emancipation  from  conscious 
existence,  may  be  attained.  All  of  these  subjects  are 
mingled  with  myths  and  legends  innumerable,  be- 
sides an  opitome  of  the  Ram  ay  ana,  and  many  other 
stories  belonging  to  the  earlier  Hindu  literature. 

It  admonishes  the  worship  of  Bali  on  the  first  of 
the  moon’s  increase.  It  inculcates  the  worship  of 
Krishna  as  Gopala,  the  cowherd.  Considerable  space 
is  also  devoted  to  Radlia,  the  favorite  mistress  of 
Krishna,  and  the  holiness  of  the  forest  which  was  the 
favorite  haunt  of  Krishna  and  Radha.  According  to 
Wilson,  the  fifteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era  is 
the  highest  antiquity  that  this  work  can  claim. 

THE  VAISHHAVA  OR  VISHNU-PURANA. 

This  work  contains  only  about  seven  thousand 
stanzas,  although  it  is  claimed  to  be  much  larger. 
There  are  at  least  seven  copies  of  it  extant,  and  in 
none  of  them  is  there  anything  to  indicate  that  any 


360 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


portion  is  wanting.  It  was  evidently  written  after 
the  Gupta  kings,  who  reigned  in  the  seventh  cen- 
tury, as  it  makes  an  historical  mention  of  them. 
It  also  alludes  to  the  Bauddhas,  who  were  in  existence 
as  late  as  the  twelfth  century. 

These  and  other  facts  prove  the  compilation  of 
this  work  to  have  taken  place  somewhere  between 
the  seventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  and  the  approxi- 
mate date  is  placed  by  Wilson  at  A.  D.  1045. 
Being  devoted  to  Vishnu,  it  represents  him  as  the 
Supreme  God.  He  is  spoken  of  as  purusha  (spirit), 
pradhana  (crude  matter),  and  vyakta  (visible  form). 

The  course  of  elementary  creation  in  the  Vishnu- 
purana,  as  well  as  in  the  others,  appears  to  be  taken 
largely  from  the  Sankhya  philosophy,  which  was 
the  doctrine  of  evolution  as  believed  and  taught  by 
a certain  school  of  Hindu  philosophers  more  than 
two  thousand  years  ago.  This  system  claims  that 
pure  spirit  cannot  originate  in  impure  matter,  and 
denies  that  anything  can  be  produced  out  of  nothing. 

The  following  aphorisms  contain  a brief  exposition 
of  its  doctrines.  “ There  cannot  be  the  production  of 
something  out  of  nothing,  that  which  is  not  cannot  be 
developed  into  that  which  is.  The  production  of  what 
does  not  already  exist  (potentially)  is  impossible,  as  a 
horn  on  a man ; because  there  must  of  necessity  be  a 
material  out  of  which  a product  is  developed ; and 
because  everything  cannot  occur  everywhere  at  all 
times,  and  because  anything  possible  must  be  pro- 
duced from  something  competent  to  produce  it.1  Thus 


i This  Sankhya  creed  is  highly  suggestive  of  the  doctrines  of  Epi- 
curus, as  expounded  by  Lucretius,  who  argues  that  the  world  and  other 


THE  PURANAS. 


361 


curds  come  from  milk,  not  water.  A potter  pro- 
duces a jar  from  clay,  not  from  cloth.  Production 

is  only  a manifestation  of  what  previously  existed.”1 
But  in  the  Puranas  the  agency  operating  on  passive 
matter  is  confusedly  exhibited  in  consequence  of  the 
all  prevailing  doctrine  of  pantheism  and  the  partial 
adoption  of  the  Vedanta  philosophy  which  is  based 

upon  pure  pantheism.  Its  creed  is  simply  stated 
/ 

in  the  Chandogya  Upanishad  as  follows:  “All  this 

universe  indeed  is  Brahma;  from  him  does  it  pro- 
ceed; into  him  it  is  dissolved.”  The  Vedanta  system 
has  some  similarities  to  the  idealism  of  Plato,  and 
indeed  the  Hindu  Vediintist  fought  the  Sankhya 
theory  of  evolution  very  much  as  did  the  Grecian 
philosopher.  It  is  in  strict  accordance  with  the  Ve- 
danta philosophy  and  the  Puranic  doctrine  of  pan- 
theism that  Vishnu  is  represented  as  being  “the  cause 
of  creation,  existence,  and  end  of  this  world  ; who  is 
the  root  of  the  world  and  consists  of  the  world.” 
The  creation  is  referred  to,  as  in  the  other  Puranas, 
as  coming  from  the  egg  which  rested  upon  the  bosom 
of  the  waters.  This  is  a widely  diffused  opinion  of 
antiquity,2  and  it  is  supposed  by  Bryant  and  Faber  that 
the  cosmic  egg  so  often  alluded  to  represented  the 
ark  floating  upon  the  water.  The  Vishnu-purana  also 

material  objects  were  formed  by  the  coalescing  of  atoms  and  primordial 
seeds.  The  Epicurean  theory  was  severely  criticised  by  Cicero,  who 
claimed  that  if  a concourse  of  atoms  could  produce  a world,  it  ought 
also  to  produce  temples,  houses,  cities,  and  other  things  which  are  formed 
much  more  easily  than  worlds.  (See  De  Natura  Deorum.  II,  37.) 

1 Ind.  Wis„  p.  89. 

2 Traces  of  this  theory  occur  amongst  the  Syrians,  Persians,  and  Egyp- 
tians; besides  the  Orphic  egg  amongst  the  Greeks  and  that  described  by 
Aristophanes,  a part  of  the  ceremony  in  the  Dionysiaea  consisted  of  the 
consecration  of  an  egg,  which  according  to  Porphyry  signified  the  world. 


362 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


speaks  of  the  successive  creations  so  often  alluded  to, 
and  the  repose  of  the  Supreme  God  during  the  in- 
tervals upon  his  mighty  serpent  couch  in  the  midst 
of  the  deep.  It  also  presents  the  raising  of  the  earth 
from  the  water  by  the  tusks  of  the  great  boar,  and 
the  churning  of  the  sea  of  milk  for  the  recovery  of 
the  lost  ambrosia.  It  describes  at  great  length  the 
various  worlds,  heavens,  hells,  and  planetary  spheres, 
and  gives  the  same  description  of  the  seven  circular 
continents  and  concentric  oceans  that  is  found  in  the 
Maha-bharata. 

It  describes  also  the  arrangement  of  the  Vedas 
and  Puranas  by  Vyasa,  and  gives  the  rules  of  caste, 
in  which  the  Purana  follows  to  a great  extent  the 
Code  of  Manu.  Book  IV.  of  this  immense  volume  is 
occupied  with  lists  of  kings  and  dynasties.  Book  V. 
corresponds  with  Book  X.  of  the  Bhagavata-purana, 
and  is  devoted  to  a life  of  Krishna.  Krishna  is  rep- 
resented as  the  eighth  child  of  his  mother  (the  first 
six  having  been  the  offspring  of  a demon)  and  as  orig- 
inating in  a black  hair  taken  from  the  head  of  Vishnu. 
Ilis  mission  is  to  destroy  the  demon  Kansa,  who  tries 
to  forestall  him  by  killing  him  in  his  infancy.  This 
is  prevented,  however,  by  his  father,  who  carries  him 
away  in  the  night  and  exchanges  him  for  another 
child.  Book  VI.  describes  the  gradual  deterioration  of 
mankind  during  the  four  ages  and  the  destruction  of 
the  world  by  fire  and  water  at  the  end  of  a Kalpa. 

BIRTH  OF  KRISHNA. 

On  the  day  of  his  birth  the  horizon  was  radiant 
with  light  and  happiness,  and  the  waves  of  the  sea  joined 


THE  PURANAS. 


363 


their  music  with  the  songs  of  the  spirits  and  nymphs 
of  heaven,  who  danced  with  joy.  The  gods  walking 
through  the  sky  showered  down  flowers  upon  the  earth 
and  the  holy  fires  glowed  with  gentler  flame. 

As  soon  as  the  child  was  born,  with  the  complexion 
of  lotus  leaves,  having  four  arms  and  the  mystic  mark 
upon  his  breast,  his  father  and  mother  implored  him 
as  a god  to  forego  his  four-armed  shape,  lest  Kansa 
should  know  of  his  descent  and  slay  him. 

Vasu-deva,  taking  the  child,  went  out  the  same 
night  into  the  darkness  and  rain  and  carried  him  to 
a place  of  safety,  while  Sesha,  the  many-headed  ser- 
pent, followed  the  father,  and  spreading  his  hoods 
over  them  protected  the  infant  from  the  rain.  When 
they  passed  through  the  river,  with  its  dangerous 
rapids  and  swift  current,  the  waters  were  stilled  and 
rose  not  above  the  knee  of  Vasu-deva.  Coming  to 
the  bed  of  a sleeping  mother,  who  had  just  been 
delivered  of  a daughter,  he  cpiickly  exchanged  the  chil- 
dren, and  taking  the  little  girl  hastened  homeward. 
When  the  mother,  Yasoda,  awoke  and  found  her  child 
(as  she  supposed)  was  a son  as  black  as  the  dark 
leaves  of  the  lotus,  she  was  greatly  rejoiced. 

The  female  infant  was  placed  in  the  bed  of  DevakI, 
and  the  demon  Kansa  destroyed  it,  thereby  releasing 
the  goddess  who  had  been  born  as  the  babe.  Taunting 
him  with  his  helplessness,  and  decorating  herself  with 
heavenly  garlands,  she  vanished  from  his  sight.  King 
Kansa  being  greatly  troubled,  called  his  chiefs  together, 
and  issued  a decree  that  every  male  child  in  whom 
were  found  signs  of  unusual  vigor  should  be  destroyed. 

Krishna  is  afterward  represented  as  plunging  boldly 


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TIIE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


into  the  lake  of  the  serpent  king,  and  conquering  him 
by  setting  his  foot  upon  the  terrible  head  which  had 
hitherto  been  unbended.  The  dying  serpent  feebly 
pleads  for  mercy,  and  Krishna  allows  him  to  live, 
but  commands  him  to  depart  immediately  with  all 
his  family  and  followers  into  the  sea.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  there  are  some  resemblances  to  the  gospels 
in  this  Parana,  which  dates  from  the  eleventh  century 
of  the  Christian  era. 

THE  WIVES  AND  CHILDREN  OF  KRISHNA. 

According  to  this  authority  the  first  wife  of  Krishna 
was  Rad  ha ; afterward  he  married  Jamba  vati,  the 
daughter  of  a bear.  This  marriage  was  the  result  of 
a terrible  contest  with  the  father  of  the  bride.  Krishna 
fought  the  bear  twenty-one  days  and  at  last  conquered 
him.  The  bear  then  exclaimed,  “Thou,  mighty  being, 
art  surely  invincible  by  all  the  demons  and  by  the 
spirits  of  heaven,  earth,  and  hell.  Much  less  art  thou 
to  be  vanquished  by  creatures  in  human  shape,  and 
still  less  bi/  such  as  we  who  are  horn  of  the  brute  crea- 
tion Then  humbly  prostrating  himself  at  the  feet  of 
his  conqueror,  he  presented  to  Krishna  his  daughter 
Jambavati  as  an  offering  suitable  to  a guest,  and  the 
bridegroom  led  her  away  in  triumph.1  Krishna  then 
married  three  beautiful  girls,  find  afterward  espoused 
the  two  daughters  of  the  king  of  Magadha.  He  also 
seized  and  carried  off  by  violence  the  beautiful  princess 
RukminikL 

In  Hindu  mythology  Havana,  the  demon  king  of 
Ceylon,  was  born  again  as  Sisu-pala,  one  of  the  char- 


l Visb.  Pur.,  p.  427. 


THE  PUR  AN  AS. 


3G5 


acters  of  the  Maha-bharata.  He  was  betrothed  to 
RuminikI,  but  Krishna  forcibly  carried  away  the  bride 
and  made  her  his  own.  Afterward  Bhishma  declared 
that  the  usual  prize  awarded  to  the  greatest  and  strong- 
est of  their  number  was  due  to  Krishna ; but  Sisu-pala 
publicly  objected  to  having  the  award  made  to  a cow- 
herd, who  was  also  a murderer,  and  after  some  bitter 
language  on  both  sides  Krishna  “whirled  his  cakra 

o o • • 

furiously  at  Sisu-pala  and  severed  his  head  from  his 
body.”  He  afterward  married  not  only  RuminikI,  but 
also  still  later  sixteen  thousand  and  one  hundred  other 
wives  at  a single  ceremony.  We  quote  from  the 
Vishnu-purana:  “Sixteen  thousand  and  one  hundred 
was  the  number  of  the  maidens  (included  in  the  last 
marriage),  and  into  so  many  forms  did  the  foe  of 
Madhu  (Krishna)  multiply  himself  that  every  one  of 
the  damsels  thought  that  he  had  wedded  her  in  his 
single  person,  and  the  creator  of  the  world — the  as- 
sumer  of  universal  shape — abode  severally  in  the  dwell- 
ing of  each  of  these,  his  wives.”1  It  is  declared  that 
these  wives  bore  to  Krishna  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  sons,  and  the  Bhagavata-purana  gives  the 
names  of  about  eighty  members  of  this  numerous 
family. 

DEATH  OF  KRISHNA. 

The  Vishnu-purana  agrees  with  the  Maha-bharata 
concerning  the  principal  incidents  connected  with  the 
death  of  Krishna.  The  destruction  of  his  tribe  is  re- 
counted, and  also  the  particulars  of  the  drunken  melee 
in  which  the  fratricidal  Yadavas  slew  each  other.  It 
is  here  again  declared  that  Krishna  was  slain  bv  the 


l Yish.  Pur.,  p.  528. 


366 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


arrow  of  a hunter  who  mistook  him  for  a wild  animal, 
hut  an  additional  incident  is  given  to  the  effect  that 
Krishna  was  sitting  with  one  foot  resting  upon  his 
knee,  and  the  arrow  entered  the  sole  of  his  foot,  which 
was  the  only  vulnerable  spot  upon  his  body. 

This  Purana  enumerates  twenty-eight  hells,  one  of 
them  being  called  the  Krishna,  or  black  hell,  which 
is  reserved  for  sinners  who  live  by  fraud,  or  who  tres- 
pass upon  other  people’s  lands.  The  book  closes  with  a 
prophecy  of  the  Kali  age,  when  all  evil  shall  be  de- 
stroyed. 

SAIVA. 

Saiva  gives  the  genealogies  of  the  patriarchs  and 
descriptions  of  the  universe,  mingled  with  praises  of 
Siva  and  the  myths  and  legends  of  which  he  is  the 
hero.  It  also  teaches  the  efficacy  of  Yoga1  and  the 
glories  of  Siva-pura,  or  the  dwelling  of  Siva,  with  whom 
the  yogi,  or  devotee,  is  to  be  united. 

SRl  BIIAGAVATA 

is  a work  of  powerful  influence  in  India,  controlling 
the  opinions  and  feelings  of  the  people  more  than  any 
other  of  the  Puranas.  It  is  called  Bhagavata,  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  devoted  to  the  glorification  of 
Bhagavat  or  Vishnu.  It  gives  a cosmogony  which, 

i The  Yoga  is  considered  a branch  of  the  Sankhya  system  of  philoso- 
phy, but  it  appears  really  to  be  a sort  of  penance  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
centrating thought  with  the  greatest  intensity  upon  the  syllable  Om,  which 
is  sometimes  defined  to  be  Brahma,  and  again,  as  the  representative  of  all 
the  gods  of  earth,  air,  and  sky.  The  most  unnatural  and  painful  postures 
are  assumed  by  devotees,  and  sometimes  persisted  in  for  years.  It  also 
includes  twistings  and  contortions  of  the  limbs,  suppressions  of  the  breath, 
and  utter  absence  of  mind.  The  variety  and  intensity  of  the  various 
forms  of  suffering  which  are  self-inflicted  upon  the  devotees,  would  sur- 
pass all  credibility  if  they  were  not  attested  by  trustworthy  evidence. 


THE  PURANAS. 


367 


although  in  most  respects  similar  to  that  of  the  other 
Puranas,  is  more  largely  mixed  with  allegory  and  mys- 
ticism, deriving  its  tone  more  from  the  Vedanta  than 
the  Sankhya  philosophy.  It  contains  a variety  of 
legends  of  a miscellaneous  description  intended  to 
illustrate  the  merit  of  worshiping  Vishnu.  There  is 
also  an  account  of  the  deluge,  in  which  Vishnu  is 
represented  as  descending  in  the  form  of  a fish  to 
guide  the  ark. 

It  narrates  the  history  of  Krishna  in  much  the 
same  way  that  the  Vishnu-purana  does,  and  acknowl- 
edges its  indebtedness  to  that  work,  showing  conclusively 
that  it  is  subsequent  to  the  Vishnu-purana.  The 
Bhagavata  closes  with  a series  of  encomiums  on  its 
own  sanctity  and  efficacy  to  salvation.  Mr.  Colebrooke 
says  of  the  work:  “ I am  inclined  to  adopt  an  opin- 

ion supported  by  many  learned  Hindus,  who  consider 
the  celebrated  Sri  Bhagavata  as  the  work  of  a gram- 
marian (Vopadeva)  supposed  to  have  lived  six  hun- 
dred years  ago.” 1 Prof.  Wilson  and  other  Orientalists 
agree  with  Colebrook  in  ascribing  the  Bhagavata  to 
Vopadeva. 

THE  MARKANDEYA, 

containing  nine  thousand  verses,  is  “ That  Purana  in 
which,  commencing  with  the  story  of  the  birds  that 
were  acquainted  with  right  and  wrong,  everything  is 
narrated  fully  by  Markandeya  as  it  is  explained  by 
the  holy  sages  in  reply  to  the  questions  of  Muni.” 
The  celestial  birds  (who  were  Brahmans  in  a previous 
birth),  are  represented  as  answering  the  following 


1 As.  Res.,  Vol.  3,  p.  467, 


3C8 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


questions:  “ Why  was  Yasu-deva  born  as  a mortal?” 

“ How  is  it  that  Draupadi  became  the  wife  of  the  five 
Pandus  ? ” “Why  did  Baladeva  do  penance  for  Brah- 
manicide? ” and  “Why  were  the  children  of  Draupadi 
destroyed  when  they  had  Krishna  and  Arjuna  to  de- 
fend them?”  The  account  of  the  creation  is  also 
repeated  by  the  birds.  This  Purana  is  not  easily 
placed  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  but  is  supposed  to 
belong  to  the  ninth  or  tenth  century. 

TIIE  AGNI. 

The  Agni  or  Agneya  treats  of  primitive  and  subse- 
quent creations,  the  genealogies  of  demigods  and 
kings,  the  reigns  of  the  Manus,  the  histories  of  the 
royal  dynasties,  and  other  matters  of  a very  different 
character.  As  it  is  evidently  a compilation,  its  date  is 
of  very  little  importance.  It  is  not  unlikely,  however, 
that  chapters  have  been  arbitrarily  supplied  during  the 
last  few  centuries.  For  the  Agni  an  ancient  Purana 
called  the  Vayu  is  often  substituted. 

THE  VAYU. 

The  Vayujpurana  is  so  named  in  consequence,  it 
is  said,  of  having  been  communicated  by  Vayu,  the 
deity  of  the  wind',  to  the  assembled  sages.  It  treats 
of  the  families  of  sages  and  kings,  followed  by  a cos- 
mogony terminating  with  the  destruction  of  the  world 
at  the  end  of  each  Kaljm.  While  it  teaches  the  doc- 
trine of  pantheism,  it  also  allows  to  the  Suyireme  Be- 
ing an  existence  separate  from  his  works,  although  he 
appears  to  be  without  attributes.  The  astronomy  of 
this  Purana  presents  the  relative  sizes  and  situations 


THE  PURANAS. 


369 


of  the  planets,  with  their  cars  and  steeds  and  other 
appurtenances,  revolving  around  the  pole  (to  which 
they  are  attached  by  cords  of  air)  as  the  wheel  turns 
on  its  pivot.  Little  information  concerning  its  exact 
age  is  to  be  derived  from  internal  evidence,  but  it  is 
supposed  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  Puranas. 

THE  BHAVISHYA, 

containing  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  stanzas, 
treats  of  the  creation,  repeating  almost  the  very  words 
of  the  first  chapter  of  Manu,  the  rest  of  the  work  be- 
ing purely  a manual  of  religious  rites  and  ceremonials, 
although  a few  legends  enliven  the  series  of  precepts. 
It  is  not  very  properly  called  a Parana,  and  was  prob- 
ably written  prior  to  the  Mohammedan  concpiest. 

BRAHMA  YAIVARTA. 

This  is  decidedly  a sectarian  work,  and  appears  to 
have  no  other  reason  for  its  existence  than  to  induce 
faith  in  Krishna  and  Radha.  It  is  of  little  value  as 
collateral  authority,  and  the  most  of  its  stories  are  too 
absurd  for  repetition.  Krishna  is  here  spoken  of  as 
“the  sole  existent  and  eternal  being — the  center  of  a 
luminous  sphere  of  immeasurable  extent  and  inconceiva- 
ble splendor.”  Vishnu  is  represented  as  coming  from 
his  right  side  and  Siva  from  his  left.  Brahma,  who  is 
often  spoken  of  as  the  Supreme  God,  is  represented  as 
springing  from  Krishna.  All  the  gods  and  goddesses 
proceed  from  different  parts  of  his  person,  and  each 
of  them  at  birth  recites  a short  hymn  or  prayer  in  his 
honor.  Brahma  is  represented  as  saying: 

“ I adore  Krishna,  who  is  free  from  the  three  qual- 


370 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ities,  the  one  imperishable  Goviuda,  who  is  invisible 
and  void  of  form;  who  is  visible  and  assumed  the 
shape  of  a cowherd  ....  the  lord  of  the  mystic 
dance,  and  its  performer,  and  the  delighter  in  the 
graces  of  its  evolutions.”  Radha,  his  favorite  wife, 
proceeds  from  his  heart ; from  the  pores  of  her  skin 
proceed  three  hundred  million  gopls  or  nymphs,  while 
a like  number  of  gopas,  the  swains  of  the  nymphs, 
proceed  from  the  pores  of  Krishna’s  skin,  and  the 
cows  which  these  swains  are  to  attend  also  issue  from 
the  pores  of  Krishna’s  skin. 

The  twenty-eighth  and  twenty-ninth  chapters  are 
devoted  to  a description  of  Goloka,  the  heaven  of 
Krishna.  It  is  a sphere  of  light  tenanted  by  gopls, 
gopas  and  cows,  the  only  human  beings  admitted  be- 
ing the  votaries  of  Krishna.  The  author  sometimes 
describes  Goloka  as  being  round,  and  again  speaks  of 
it  as  a square.  In  one  passage  he  gives  it  a diameter 
of  thirty  millions  of  yojanas,  and  in  another  he  ex- 
tends its  circumference  to  a thousand  millions.  In- 
deed, the  compiler  seems  to  have  paid  very  little 
attention  to  the  consistency  of  the  narrative,  assigning 
various  origins  to  the  same  god  or  goddess.  Thus, 
Sarasvatl,  the  goddess  of  speech,  is  said  in  one  para- 
graph to  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  Krishna,  and  in 
another  is  represented  as  one  of  the  subdivisions  of 
Prakriti,  and  again  is  spoken  of  as  issuing  from  the 
tongue  of  LakshmI.  These  incoherencies  are  quite 
characteristic  of  this  Parana,  which  is  full  of  contra- 
dictory repetitions. 

According  to  this  work  the  original  and  only  cause 
of  Krishna’s  incarnation  was  his  love  for  Radha,  and 


THE  PURAHAS.  371 

he  came  down  to  the  world  to  be  her  lover.  The  in- 
cidents of  Krishna’s  birth,  as  the  eighth  child  of  Vasu- 
deva  and  DevakI,  are  narrated  in  the  usual  manner ; 
his  infant  exploits  are  also  recited,  and  his  marriage 
with  Radha  is  said  to  have  been  celebrated  by  the 
distribution  of  viands  and  treasures  in  large  quantities. 
The  incompatibility  of  such  profusion  with  the  finan- 
cial condition  of  his  foster  father  Xanda,  the  cowherd, 
is  apparently  not  noticed  by  the  author,  although  the 
hero  of  the  festivities  is  represented  in  the  next  chap- 
ter as  stealing  the  curds,  for  which  he  is  tied  to  a tree 
and  whipped  by  his  foster  mother,  Yasoda.  Krishna  is 
also  represented  as  carrying  off  and  hiding  the  clothes 
of  the  nymphs  while  they  were  bathing  in  the  river. 

It  is  claimed  in  this  Purana  that  when  Yishnu 
boasted  of  being  lord  of  all,  he  was  swallowed  by 
Krishna,  all  but  his  head,  but  was  restored  on  recov- 
ering his  senses.  Krishna’s  marriage  with  other  wives 
is  also  narrated.  The  circumstances  of  his  death  by 
a wound  from  a hunter,  the  destruction  of  his  tribe, 
and  the  submersion  of  Dvaraka  are  also  alluded  to. 
This  Purana  is  said  to  be  so  sacred  that  the  attentive 
hearing  of  one  quarter  of  a verse  is  equal  in  merit  to 
the  gift  of  the  heaven  of  Krishna.  Although  it  is 
differently  classified  it  appears  to  be  one  of  the  last 
of  the  Puranas  from  its  own  avowal  that  it  was  in- 
tended to  “clear  up  the  discrepancies  observable  in 
these  works.”  That  it  was  compiled  after  the  Moham- 
medan invasion  is  evident  from  the  allusion  that  it 
makes  to  the  supremacy  of  the  Mleccha  rulers,  and 
the  particular  branch  of  the  Hindu  system  which  it 
advocates  makes  it  very  probable  that  it  emanated 


372 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


from  a sect  which  originated  about  four  centuries  ago 
with  the  Gosains. 

THE  LINGA 

consists  of  eleven  thousand  stanzas,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  originally  composed  by  Brahma.  In  the  account 
of  creation  as  given  by  this  Parana,  Brahma  and  Vishnu 
are  represented  as  fighting  for  the  supremacy  during 
the  intervals  of  creation,  but  the  great  fiery  Linga 
suddenly  springs  up  and  puts  them  both  to  shame,  as 
after  traveling  upwards  and  downwards  for  a thousand 
years  neither  of  them  could  find  its  beginning  or 
ending.  Upon  the  Linga  the  sacred  syllable  Om  is 
visible,  by  which  Brahma  and  Vishnu  become  en- 
lightened and  acknowledge  and  eulogize  the  superior 
/ t / t 

glory  of  Siva.  Siva  repeats  the  story  of  his  incarna- 
tions (twenty-eight  in  number),  intended  doubtless  to 
exceed  in  number  the  incarnations  of  Vishnu.  The 
work  is  assigned  to  about  the  eighth  or  ninth  century. 

THE  VARAHA 

is  narrated  by  Vishnu,  as  Varaha  (the  boar),  to  the 
personified  earth.  Like  the  Linga-purana,  this  is  a 
religious  manual  almost  wholly  occupied  with  forms 
of  prayer  and  rules  for  devotional  observances  ad- 
dressed to  Vishnu.  There  is  no  leaning  to  the  par- 
ticular adoration  of  Krishna,  and  there  are  other  indi- 
cations of  its  belonging  to  an  earlier  stage  of  Vishnu 
worship. 

THE  SKANDA 

is  ‘‘that  in  which  the  six-faced  deity  (Skanda)  has 
related  the  events  of  the  Tatapursha  Kalpa  enlarged 


THE  PUR  ANAS.  373 

with  many  tales.”  It  is  said  to  contain  eighty-one 
thousand  and  one  hundred  stanzas.  This  Parana  has 
no  existence  in  a collected  form,  and  the  fragments 
in  various  parts  of  India  which  are  affirmed  to  be 
portions  of  it  aggregate  a mass  of  stanzas  even  more 
formidable  than  has  been  enumerated.  They  contain 
minute  descriptions  of  the  temple  of  Siva,  and  a vast 
number  of  legends  illustrating  the  holiness  of  Kasi. 
Other  portions  are  devoted  to  the  holiness  of  Urissa 
and  other  localities  and  temples.  It  is  doubtful  what 
proportion  of  these  fragments  properly  belongs  to  the 
Skanda-purana. 

THE  YAMAHA 

contains  an  account  of  the  dwarf  incarnation  of  Vish- 
nu and  includes  about  seven  thousand  stanzas.  It  is 
largely  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the  Linga  and  to 
the  illustration  of  the  sanctity  of  certain  holy  places. 
In  the  words  of  a distinguished  Orientalist  (Wilson) 
“ Its  compilation  may  have  amused  the  leisure  of  some 
Brahman  of  Benares  three  or  four  centuries  ago.” 

THE  KURMA 

is  “ that  in  which  Janarddana  in  the  form  of  a tor- 
toise in  the  regions  under  the  earth  exjdained  the  ob- 
jects of  life,  duty,  wealth,  pleasure,  and  liberation.” 
The  greater  part  of  it  inculcates  the  worship  of  Siva 
and  Durga,  although  it  is  rej^resented  as  being  given 
by  one  of  the  incarnations  of  Vishnu.  Its  date  can- 
not be  very  early,  for  it  is  avowedly  posterior  to  the 
establishment  of  the  Tantrika,  the  Satka  and  the  Jain 
sects,  and  these  were  not  known  in  the  early  centuries 
of  our  era. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


THE  MATSYA. 

This  Purana,  after  the  usual  prologue,  opens  with 
the  account  of  how  the  Matsya,  or  fish  avatar  of 
Vishnu,  preserved  a king  named  Manu  with  the  seeds 
of  all  things  in  an  ark  from  the  waters  of  the  great 
inundation,  the  story  of  the  flood  which  was  told  in 
one  of  the  Brahmanas,  and  later  in  the  Maha-bha- 
rata,  being  substantially  repeated  here.  The  gen- 

ealogical chapters  are  much  the  same  as  those  of  the 
Vishnu-purana.  The  work  has  drawn  largely  from 
the  Maha-bharata ; it  also  quotes  the  Padma-purana, 
and  is  therefore  subsequent  to  that  work. 

THE  GARUDA. 

The  greater  part  of  this  document  is  devoted  to  the 
description  of  Vratas,  or  vows  of  self-restraint,  of  hol- 
idays, of  sacred  places  dedicated  to  the  sun,  and  to 
prayers  addressed  to  the  sun,  to  Siva,  and  to  Vishnu. 
It  contains  also  treatises  on  astrology,  palmistry,  and 
precious  stones,  and  one  still  more  extensive  on  medi- 
cine. There  is  nothing  in  this  work  to  justify  the 
name.  Garuda  is  the  eagle  bird  (half  man)  on  which 
Vishnu  rides,  and  it  is  possible  that  there  is  no  genu- 
ine Garuda-purana  in  existence. 

THE  BRAHMANDA. 

“That  which  has  declared  in  twelve  thousand  two 
hundred  verses  the  magnificence  of  the  egg  of  Brahmii, 
and  in  wdiich  an  account  of  the  future  Kalpas  is  con- 
tained, is  called  the  Bralimanda-purana,  and  was  re- 
vealed by  Brahma.”  This  Purana,  like  the  Skanda,  is 


THE  PURAXAS. 


375 


no  longer  procurable  in  a collected  form,  but  is  repre- 
sented by  a variety  of  iTAandas  professed  to  be  derived 
from  it.  The  facility  which  this  state  of  things  affords 
for  imposition  is  very  great,  and  the  Skanda  and  the 
Brahmanda  have  for  this  reason  sometimes  been  called 
“the  Puranas  of  thieves  and  impostors.” 

The  mythology  of  the  Puranas  is  much  more  devel- 
oped than  that  of  the  Maha-bharata,  in  which  Vishnu 
and  Siva  are  apparently  regarded  merely  as  great  heroes, 
not  having  as  yet  developed  into  rival  gods.  Krishna, 
who  was  afterward  made  so  prominent,  is  not  even  the 
hero  of  the  Maha-bharata,  although  he  appears  as  a 
great  chieftain  ; but  as  Prof.  Lassen  has  shown,  “ The 
real  worship  of  Krishna  is  not  found  before  the  fifth 
or  sixth  century.”  In  mediaeval  times  there  was  much 
sectarian  feeling  between  the  worshipers  of  Brahma, 
Vishnu,  and  Siva,  each  sect  being  jealous  of  its  favor- 
ite system  and  devoted  to  its  favorite  god.  Hence, 
the  Puranas  which  were  compiled  about  this  time  were 
each  of  them  devoted  to  the  exaltation  of  the  partic- 
ular deity  who  happened  to  be  the  favorite  of  the 
compiler.  In  modern  times  Siva  is  the  most  popular 
object  of  worship  with  Brahmans,  while  Krishna  is 
the  favorite  god  of  the  lower  classes.  We  have  here 
given  the  briefest  possible  resume  of  the  contents  and 
teachings  of  these  productions  of  mediaeval  times,  and 
will  now  consider  the  mythological  hero  of  the  Pur- 
anas— the  god  Krishna. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


KRISHNA. 

A MULTITUDE  OF  PERSONS  NAMED  KRISHNA — LIFE  OF 
KRISHNA,  THE  SON  OF  VASU-DEVA  — DEATH  OF 
KRISHNA — RESEMBLANCES  TO  CHRISTIAN  HISTORY 
VERY'  SLIGHT — WORSHIP  OF  THE  “ DARK  GOD  ” — 
SUMMARY. 

TNTIMATELY  connected  with  the  Puranas  is  their 
hero,  Krishna.  The  meaning  of  the  word  is 
“dark”  or  “black,”  and  the  frequency  with  which 
the  name  occurs  in  Hindu  literature  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  whenever  a male  child  was  born 
with  a complexion  unusually  dark  he  was  named 
Krishna,  or  that  in  later  times  he  was  named  for  the 
popular  god  of  the  Puranas. 

The  earliest  mention  of  the  name  in  the  Rig-veda 
is  where  a hymn  of  adoration  to  Indra  praises  that 
god  for  having  slain  the  wives  of  Krishna.1 

Afterward  the  same  god  is  said  to  have  slain  fifty 

i Wilson’s  trans.  Rig-veda  Sanhita,  Vol.  I,  page  260. 

Sanhita  sometimes  means  collection,  and  the  Rig-veda  Sanhita  con- 
taining one  thousand  and  seventeen  hymns,  is  the  oldest  and  most  im- 
portant collection  of  the  early  prayers,  invocations  and  hymns  of  the 
Hindus.  Sanhita  may  also  mean  the  words  of  the  Veda  euphonically 
combined  instead  of  separated  as  in  the  Puda  text.  Prof.  Wilson’s 
translation  is  based  upon  the  commentary  of  the  native  scholar  Sayana. 
It  represents  the  long  line  of  Vaidic  tradition  which  the  Hindus  have  pre- 
served, and  shows  the  English  reader  what  the  natives  suppose  the  Rig- 
veda  to  mean.  See  note  to  page  23. 

376 


KRISHNA. 


377 


thousand  Krishnas,1  all  of  whom  were  Rakshasas  or 
demons.  Indra  is  represented  as  the  great  protector 
of  his  votaries  in  battle.  He  defended  his  Aryan 
worshipers  in  all  their  conflicts  y he  also  punished  for 
the  benefit  of  man  those  who  neglected  religious 
rites.  He  (Indra)  tore  off  the  black  skin  of  the  ag- 
gressor as  if  burning  with  flame  ; he  utterly  consumes 
him  who  delights  in  cruelty.1 

“ Allusion,  ” says  the  translator,  “ is  here  made  to 
the  legend  that  an  Asura,  named  Krishna  the  black, 
advanced  with  ten  thousand  followers  to  the  banks 
of  the  Amsumati  river,  where  he  committed  fearful 
devastation  until  he  was  defeated  by  Indra,  who 
stripped  him  of  his  skin.”  “The  swift  moving  Krish- 
na with  ten  thousand  demons  stood  on  the  Amsumati ; 
by  his  might  Indra  caught  him  snorting  in  the  water. 
He  (Indra)  smote  his  malicious  bands.  I have  seen 
the  swift  moving  demon  lurking  in  an  inaccessible 
place  in  the  depths  of  the  river.  Indra  with  his  ally 
smote  the  godless  host  as  they  drew  near.”2 

Krishna,  a Rishi  of  Angira,  is  also  spoken  of  in 
the  Rig-veda  Sanhita.  In  the  Maha-bharata  the  name 
Krishna3  is  an  epithet  applied  to  the  princess  Drau- 
padi  who  married  the  five  Pandavas.  Krishna-dvai- 
payana  (the  dark-colored,  island-born  man)  was  the 
grandfather  of  the  Kauravas  who  bore  so  important 
a part  in  the  great  war,  and  he  is  also  said  to  be  the 
arranger  or  editor  of  the  Maha-bharata  and  the  com- 
piler of  the  Puranas,  the  oldest  of  which  are  ascribed 

1 There  is  no  mention  in  the  Rig-veda  of  any  god  by  this  name. 

2 Vol.  V,  p.  192. 

3 The  long  mark  on  the  final  a,  indicates  the  feminine  form  of  the 
word. 


378 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


to  the  sixth  or  seventh  century  of  the  Christian  era. 
The  Hindus  have  an  easy  method,  however,  of  dispos- 
ing of  little  chronological  difficulties  of  a few  centuries 
by  asserting  that  their  heroes  are  born  again  as  men 
whenever  their  services  are  needed  upon  the  earth. 
In  the  Chandogya  Upanishad  we  find  a Krishna  who 
was  the  son  of  Devakiputra,  but  of  him  nothing  is 
known  except  that  he  was  a pupil  of  Ghara.  The 
name  was  also  borne  by  a son  of  Havird-hana  and  by 
one  of  the  Andhra  princes. 

In  the  later  forms  of  Hindu  literature  we  find 
Krishna,  the  son  of  Vasu-deva1  and  Devaki,  who 
figured  as  a great  chieftain  in  the  Maha-bharata,  and 
during  a large  part  of  the  Christian  era  has  had  divine 
honors  paid  to  him.  Krishna  was  also  one  of  the 
names  of  Arjuna.  In  the  Maha-bharata  where  the  son 
of  Drona  is  said  to  have  entered  the  camp  of  the  Pan- 
davas  at  night  to  avenge  his  father’s  death,  his  pro- 
gress was  arrested  at  the  gate  by  the  gigantic  form  of 
Siva.  This  god  of  destruction  was  robed  in  a tiger’s 
skin,  while  his  long  arms  were  adorned  with  bracelets 
of  serpents.  His  body  glowed  like  the  sun,  and  “ hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  Krishnas  were  manifested  from 
the  light  issuing  from  his  person.”  Krishna-tarka- 
lawkara,  a commentator,  flourished  somewhat  later,  and 
Krishna-misra,  the  dramatic  author,  is  supposed  to  have 
lived  in  the  twelfth  century  of  the  Christian  era. 
Krishna  Bahadur  was  the  name  of  a publisher  in  Cal- 
cutta in  1840.  Thus  we  find  that  in  Hindu  literature, 
the  name  Krishna  is  applied  to  sixty  thousand  beings 
who  were  demons,  “hundreds  and  thousands”  more 


i There  are  nine  Vasu-devas  in  Indian  literature. 


KRISHNA. 


379 


who  issued  from  the  god  of  destruction,  as  well  as 
to  the  wife  of  the  five  Pandu  princes,  and  in  later 
times  to  princes,  sages,  commentators,  editors,  pub- 
lishers, and  others  too  numerous  to  mention ; indeed, 
it  is  now  the  custom  to  name  children  for  popular 
gods.  The  native  professor  or  pandit  who  lived  for 
five  years  with  Sir  Monier  Williams  in  India  was  named 
Krishna-varma. 

LIFE  OF  KRISHNA,  THE  SON  OF  VASU-DEVA. 

Of  this  great  multitude  named  “ dark  colored,”  the 
Krishna  who  commands  the  greatest  attention  is  the 
eighth  son  of  Vasu-deva  and  Devaki.  Of  his  life 
there  is  little  or  no  authentic  history,  but  in  later 
times  a vast  amount  of  myth  and  legend  has  been 
built  around  it. 

He  belonged  to  a tribe  well  known  in  Ilindii  history 
as  the  Yadavas.  These  nomadic  descendants  of  Yadu 
migrated  to  different  localities,  grazing  their  cattle  and 
raising  butter  for  sale  to  the  people  around  them.  It 
is  not  known  when  they  first  entered  Hindustan,  but 
at  the  time  of  Krishna’s  birth  they  appear  to  have 
settled  near  the  city  of  Mathura  (afterwards  called 
Muttra)  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Jumna,  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Hast- 
inapur. 

At  one  time  during  his  early  manhood,  Krishna 
and  his  companions  left  their  encampment  at  a rural 
village  near  by  and  paid  a visit  to  the  city  of  Mathura, 
where  it  appears  that  they  conducted  themselves  in  a 
manner  entirely  consistent  with  their  rough  characters, 
breaking  through  the  royal  gate  and  committing  other 


380 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


depredations.  It  was  during  a great  festival  which 
was  attended  by  raja  Kansa  the  usurper,  who  was 
bitterly  hated  by  his  subjects.  During  the  festivities 
a wrestling  match  degenerated  into  a disgraceful  fight, 
in  which  Krishna  and  his  older  brother,  Bala-rama, 
bore  a prominent  part.  Many  men  were  slain  and  at 
last  the  unpopular  raja  himself  was  killed  by  Krishna. 
The  rude  cowherd  became  popular  from  having  re- 
lieved the  city  of  a tyrant,  and  an  effort  was  made 
to  ennoble  his  birth  by  representing  him  to  have  been 
in  reality  the  son  of  a chieftain  of  the  tribe.1 

He  eventually  became  a chief,  and  is  represented 
as  a successful  warrior,  although  rather  unscrupulous 
as  to  the  means  employed  for  the  attainment  of  his 
ends.  For  instance,  the  Great  War  of  the  Maha- 
bharata  seems  to  have  turned  upon  the  death  of  Drona, 
the  venerable  commander-in-chief  of  the  Kauravas. 
lie  had  nearly  vanquished  the  Pandavas  by  the  slaugh- 
ter of  their  troops,  but  Krishna,  knowing  of  his  great 
love  for  his  gallant  son,  suggested  that  word  be  sent 
him  that  his  son  was  slain.  The  cruel  falsehood 
pierced  the  brave  heart  of  the  father,  although  the 
arrows  of  the  foe  had  failed  to  reach  it,  and  laying 
down  his  arms,  he  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  Piin- 
davas.  Again,  in  the  desperate  single  combat  be- 
tween Arjuna  and  Karna,  when  Arjuna  was  badly 
wounded  and  nearly  defeated,  an  accident  to  the  wheel 
of  his  chariot  compelled  Karna  to  cease  fighting, 
and  laying  down  his  arms,  he  called  to  his  opponent 
saying,  “ Hold  your  hand  for  a moment,  and  give  me 
a chance  to  recover  my  wheel,  for  it  is  no  mark  of 


l Wheeler's  Hist,  of  Ind.,  Vol.  1,  p.  459. 


KRISHNA. 


381 


manhood  to  strike  at  me  whilst  I am  in  this  extremity.” 
Arjuna  temporarily  stayed  his  hand,  but  being  insti- 
gated by  Krishna,  he  severed  the  head  of  Karna  from 
his  body,  while  the  victim  was  engaged  upon  the 
wheel  of  his  chariot.1  The  Maha-bharata  records 
still  another  instance  in  which  Krishna  advised  a blow 
so  cowardly  that  it  brought  upon  the  man  who  gave 
it  the  bitter  reproaches  of  his  own  brother.  But 
the  rude  and  amorous  warrior  was  the  Apollo  of  the 
cowherds.  Handsome,  dashing,  and  vain,  this  univer- 
sal lover  appealed  to  the  admiration  of  feeble-minded 
women  everywhere,  and  around  the  very  slight  frame- 
work which  history  furnishes,  masses  of  myth  and  leg- 
end have  grown.  He  is  represented  as  the  husband 
of  sixteen  thousand  wives,  and  the  father  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  thousand  sons,  while  his  military  ex- 
ploits have  been  repeated  with  wonderful  exaggerations 
and  mythical  additions. 

THE  DEATH  OF  KRISHNA. 

The  incidents  connected  with  the  death  of  Krishna 
are  as  well  attested  as  anything  concerning  which  we 
are  entirely  dependent  upon  Hindu  sources  for  infor- 
mation. The  Maha-bharata  relates  the  story  in  care- 
ful detail,  and  it  is  repeated  and  corroborated  by  the 
Vishnu-purana  and  also  endorsed  by  the  Brahma- 
vai  varta-pu  r ana. 

According  to  these  and  other  Hindu  authorities, 
Krishna  and  the  people  of  his  capital  city  Dvaraka, 
encamped  at  a place  of  pilgrimage  upon  the  sea-shore, 

i This  chapter  being  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  a summary  necessarily 
includes  a few  incidents  previously  alluded  to. 


382 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  paying  their  devotions  to 
the  deity  of  Dvarakfi ; but  they  carried  an  abundance 
of  wine  with  their  other  stores,  and  feasting  and 
drinking  became  their  chief  occupation.  There  were 
jugglers,  musicians,  dancers  and  actors  to  furnish  en- 
tertainment, but  the  chief  attractions  were  the  great 
jars  of  wine,  and  the  warriors  of  the  tribe  sat  down 
in  groups  around  them.  Laughing  and  jesting  being 
followed  by  taunts  and  bitter  words,  the  scene  of  rev- 
elry became  a drunken  melee,  in  which  the  intoxi- 
cated men  fought  each  other  blindly  until  the  whole 
tribe  was  exterminated  except  Krishna  and  one  or  two 
others  who  were  not  injured  themselves,  although 
they  had  slain  their  full  share  of  victims.  After 
the  disgraceful  fight  was  over,  Krishna  found  his 
older  brother  dead  beneath  a banyan  tree,  and  going 
into  a thicket  near  by  he  sat  down  in  troubled  med- 
itation upon  the  loss  of  his  kindred  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  tribe.  While  thus  absorbed  in  his  own 
sad  thoughts,  he  was  seen  by  a passing  hunter,  who, 
mistaking  him  for  a wild  animal,  discharged  an  arrow 
and  slew  him  upon  the  spot. 

The  Maha-bharata  gives  a description  of  the  funeral 
rites  and  pictures  the  grief  of  his  sixteen  thousand 
widows,  five  of  whom  Avere  burned  alive  upon 
Krishna’s  funeral  pile.  The  story  of  his  death  has 
been  repeatedly  endorsed  by  Hindu  authorities,  as 
late  as  the  eleventh  century  of  the  Christian  era. 
It  cannot,  however,  be  received  as  history  in  our 
sense  of  the  word,  as  there  is  really  no  authentic  his- 
tory in  connection  with  this  strange  character.  The 
idea  that  Krishna  was  crucified  is  an  extravagant 


KRISHNA. 


383 


myth  of  exceedingly  modern  and  quite  untrustworthy 
manufacture.1 

The  Vishnu-purana,  which  dates  from  the  elev- 
enth century  of  the  Christian  era,  states  explicitly 
that  “the  arrow  entered  the  sole  of  his  foot,  which 
was  the  oidy  vulnerable  part  of  his  body.”2  Hence 
he  was  not  even  transfixed. 

RESEMBLANCES  TO  CHRISTIAN  HISTORY  VERY  SLIGHT. 

Very  early  in  the  Christian  era  the  story  of  the 
cross  penetrated  India,  and  Pantamus,  who  lived  about 
A.  D.  180,  found  there  the  gospel  of  Matthew,  which 
had  been  left  with  the  people  by  still  earlier  mis- 
sionaries.3 

The  royal  grants  to  early  Christians,  inscribed  on 
copper  plates  and  containing  signatures  in  Pahlavl  char- 
acters, are  still  in  existence,  showing  that  Christianity 
had  attained  a position  of  some  importance  there,  even 
during  the  earlier  centuries  of  the  Christian  era. 

Not  only  was  the  story  of  the  Christ  carried  into 
India  by  the  early  missionaries,  but  according  to  Prof. 
Weber’s  version  of  a paragraph  in  the  Maha-bharata, 
it  was  brought  home  by  the  Brahmans  themselves. 
Both  Weber  and  Lassen  interpret  a passage  in  the 
Maha-bharata  to  the  effect  that  early  in  the  Christian 
era  three  Brahmans  visited  a community  of  Christians, 
and  that  on  their  return  “they  were  enabled  to  intro- 

i In  liis  foot  notes  to  this  chapter  Sir  Monier  Williams  writes  : “7  know 

nothing  of  this  absurd  myth,"  showing  that  it  has  never  reached  the  higher 
circles  of  scholarship.  It  is,  however,  freely  circulated  in  America  in  the 
writings  of  Madame  Blavatzky  and  others.  See  “ Isis  Unveiled,”  etc. 

- Possibly  this  idea  may  have  been  borrowed  from  the  vulnerable  heel  of 
Achilles. 

3 Eusebius,  Book  V,  Chap.  9,  p.  10. 


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THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


duce  improvements  into  the  hereditary  creed,  and  more 
especially  to  make  the  worship  of  Krishna  Vasu-deva 
the  most  prominent  feature  of  their  system.”1  In 
addition  to  the  testimony  of  these  celebrated  Oriental- 
ists we  have  much  internal  evidence  in  the  Maha-bha- 
rata  that  “improvements”  have  been  introduced  in 
favor  of  Krishna,  for  the  primitive  work  has  been 
incrusted  and  overlaid  with  legends  and  myths  which 
have  his  glory  for  their  sole  object.  It  is  so  evident 
that  these  are  interpolations  of  a later  date  that  J. 
Talboys  Wheeler  says  : “ The  compilers  of  the  Maha- 
bharata  have  so  frequently  tampered  ivith  the  text  for 
the  purpose  of  associating  Krishna  and  his  family 
with  the  Pandavas  that  it  is  difficult  to  accept  state- 
ments that  have  this  object  in  view.”2 

The  Brahmanical  compilers,  in  their  anxiety  to  con- 
nect him  with  the  heroes  of  the  Great  War,  have 
ignored  even  the  geographical  position,  and  represent 
the  Pandavas  as  visiting  the  Yadava  chieftain  in  his 
bed-chamber,  while  he  takes  a part  in  their  councils 
as  frequently  as  if  he  lived  in  the  same  city,  whereas 
Krishna’s  residence  at  Dvaraka  was  on  the  western 
coast  of  the  peninsula  of  Gujarat,  at  least  seven  hun- 
dred miles  in  a direct  line  from  the  city  of  Hastina- 
pur.  But  they  could  only  interpolate  incidents  and 
overlay  the  primitive  poem  with  stories  of  his  marvel- 
ous power  ; they  could  not  make  him  the  hero  of  the 
Maha-bharata,  but  only  an  erratic  chieftain  who  indeed 
poses  sometimes  as  a god,  but  whose  assumption  of  di- 
vinity is  greatly  at  variance  with  his  personal  character. 

After  the  history  of  Christ  had  been  in  the  world 


l Page  279.  this  volume. 


2 Hist,  of  Ind.,  Vol.  I.  p.  68. 


KRISHNA. 


385 


for  hundreds  of  years,  the  Puranas,  as  the  Hindus 
now  have  them,  made  their  appearance,  and  here  we 
find  the  wildest  growth  of  fancy  combined  with  slight 
imitations  of  historical  facts.  Those  which  are  espe- 
cially devoted  to  the  exaltation  of  Krishna  are  the 
Vishnu,  which  dates  from  A.  D.  1045,  the  Bhagavata, 
supposed  to  have  been  written  by  Vopadeva,  in  the 
twelfth  century,  the  Brahma-vaivarta,  which  appears 
to  have  emanated  from  a sect  called  Gosains,  about 
four  centuries  ago,  and  the  Padma-purana  of  the  fif- 
teenth century. 

In  these  works  of  the  mediaeval  times,  Krishna’s 
birth  is  surrounded  by  wonderful  phenomena.  The 
sky  is  luminous  above  his  head,  and  the  nymphs  of 
heaven  sing  with  joy  over  the  birth  of  the  four-armed 
child.  Raja  Kansa  appears  in  the  character  of  King 
Herod  and  slays  the  first  six  children  of  Devaki,  the 
mother  of  Krishna ; the  seventh  son,  Bala-rama,  escapes 
his  hand  only  by  a miracle.  Therefore  the  father  takes 
the  infant  Krishna  as  soon  as  he  is  born  and  carries 
him  away  to  a place  of  safety.  He  is  followed  by  the 
many-headed  serpent  Sesha,  and  the  snake  protects 
the  babe  from  the  rain  by  spreading  his  hoods  over 
him,  until  the  child  is  exchanged  for  the  daughter  of 
Yasoda,  who  is  carried  back  and  placed  in  the  arms 
of  Devaki.  Krishna  is  afterwards  represented  as  con- 
quering the  serpent,  and  in  answer  to  his  plea  for 
mercy  allows  him  to  live,  but  commands  him  to  depart 
with  all  of  his  followers  into  the  sea. 

The  resemblances  to  Christian  history  in  the  life 
of  Krishna  are,  however,  very  slight,  even  in  the  most 
recent  forms  of  Hindu  literature  ; but  it  must  be  con- 


386 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


fessed  that  others  have  been  added  in  modern  times 
by  men  who  cannot  read  a word  of  Sanskrit.  His 
name  has  been  spelled  Chrishna,  or  even  Christna,  ap- 
parently for  the  purpose  of  confounding  the  two.  He 
has  also  been  called  Yezeus,  and  sometimes  Jezeus  for 
the  same  reason.  But  the  dishonesty  of  this  course 
(provided  always  it  is  not  the  result  of  ignorance)  is 
unpardonable. 

The  name  of  Yezeus  as  an  appellation  of  Krishna 
was  invented,  according  to  Max  Muller,  by  a fanciful 
Frenchman, 1 and  Richard  Collins,  in  his  address  be- 
fore the  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  says  : 
“ The  addition  of  the  name  Jezeus  to  Krishna  has  no 
warrant  from  any  Hindu  book  that  I am  acquainted 
with.  It  bears  no  resemblance  to  any  of  the  many 
names  by  which  Krishna  is  commonly  denoted  in 
India,  and  it  is  not  possible  for  it  to  be  a translitera- 
tion of  any  imaginable  combination  of  letters,  either 
in  Sanskrit  or  in  any  of  the  dialects  of  South  India.”2 

The  statement  that  Krishna  was  born  in  a cave, 
that  his  herald  was  a star  and  his  presents  gold  and 
frankincense,  etc.,  are  all  the  productions  of  a vivid 
imagination  in  very  modern  times.  The  idea  that  he 
was  born  of  a virgin  cannot  be  entertained  for  a mo- 
ment by  any  one  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
subject,  in  view  of  the  great  prominence  given  to 
Krishna’s  older  brother  in  Hindu  literature. 

i Prof.  Muller  writes:  “The  name  Yezeus  was  invented,  I believe,  by 
Jacolliot,  and  is  a mere  corruption  of  Yadu.  I answered  Jacolliot  once  (Int. 
to  Sci.  of  Rel.  page  24),  but  these  books  hardly  deserve  notice.”  (Trans.  Vic. 
Inst.,  Vol.  xxi,  page  179.)  Sir  Monier  Williams  and  Prof.  E.  B.  Cowell  of  Cam 
bridge  think  that  the  name  Jezeus  may  be  a corruption  of  the  word  Isa, 
which  properly  belongs  as  a title  to  Siva. 

i Trans.  Vic.  Inst.,  Vol.  XXI,  p.  174. 


KRISHNA. 


387 


In  their  standard  works  the  statement  is  repeatedly 
made,  that  Krishna  was  the  eighth  child  of  his 
mother,  and  the  Vishnu-purana  informs  us  that  her 
first  six  children  were  the  offspring  of  the  demon, 
Hiranyakasipu.1 

Dr.  Leitner,  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University  of 
Punjab,  writes  that  “ Krishna  is  a half  historical 
character,  and  the  coincidences  of  his  life  and  that 
of  Christ  are  too  vague  to  justify  the  least  connec- 
tion with  the  narrative  regarding  Christ,  or  vice 
versa.” 2 

WORSHIP  OF  THE  “ DARK  GOD.” 

In  the  later  forms  of  Hindu  literature,  it  is  claimed 
that  Krishna  came  down  from  heaven  to  be  the  lover 
of  Radha,  and  it  is  in  this  form  that  he  is  most  pop- 
ular, unless  we  except  his  wayward  childhood.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Vishnu-purana,  Vishnu  pulled  two  hairs 
out  of  his  head,  the  one  being  white  and  the  other 
black,  and  the  white  one  developed  into  the  son  of 
Rohina,  while  the  black  one  entered  into  DevakI  (also 
a woman  of  the  Yadava  tribe)  and  developed  into 
Krishna.  It  is  said  in  the  Bhagavata-purana  that 
“When  Krishna  and  his  elder  brother  Bala-rama  be- 
gan to  grow,  they  were  dressed  in  frocks  of  blue  and 
yellow,  and  their  hair  was  trimmed  like  the  wings  of 
a crow,  and  wooden  ornaments  were  hung  from  their 
necks,  and  they  had  playthings  in  their  hands.  One 
day  Yasoda  (his  foster  mother)  was  very  angry  with 
Krishna  because  he  would  eat  dirt,  and  she  took  a 
stick  to  beat  him,  but  when  she  came  to  him  he 


i Vish.  Pur.,  p.  498. 


2 Trans.  Vic.  Inst.,  Vol.  XXI,  p.  179. 


388 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


opened  his  mouth,  and  she  looked  in  and  saw  three 
worlds,  and  she  marveled  greatly  for  a while  and 
then  remembered  it  no  more.”  The  picture  of  Krish- 
na as  the  boy  thief  stealing  butter  and  curds  from 
the  cowherds,  or  carrying  off  the  garments  of  the 
bathers,  has  an  irresistible  attraction  for  his  wor- 
shipers. 

Some  of  his  later  adventures  are  too  gross  for  repe- 
tition, but  they  illustrate  the  low  origin  of  the  cow- 
herd, and  the  disorder  and  violence  which  prevailed 
in  his  tribe.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  horrible 
rites  of  Jagan-nath,  and  in  the  festivities  of  this  god 
the  images  of  Krishna  and  his  elder  brother,  Bala-rama, 
and  also  of  his  sister,  Subhadra,  are  brought  prom- 
inently forward.1  The  Padma-purana  gives  a list  of 
one  hundred  and  eight  names  of  Krishna  to  be  re- 
peated by  the  devotee  every  morning,  and  the  reader  will 
recall  that  in  the  Bhagavad-glta  he  reveals  himself  in 
his  glory  to  Arjuna,  whereupon  the  frightened  warrior 
exclaims,  “ 0 god,  I see  your  body,  I see  you  are  of 
countless  forms,  possessed  of  many  arms,  stomachs, 
mouths,  and  eyes,  on  all  sides.  I see  you  void  of  be- 
ginning, middle,  end.  Of  infinite  power,  of  un- 
numbered arms,  having  the  sun  and  moon  for  eyes, 
having  a mouth  like  blazing  fire,  and  heating  the 
universe  with  your  radiance.  The  three  worlds  are 
affrighted,  for  these  groups  of  gods  are  entering  into 
you  ; seeing  your  mighty  form  with  many  mouths  and 
eyes,  with  many  arms,  thighs,  and  feet,  with  many 

i Major  General  Cunningham,  who  so  ably  conducted  the  Archeological 
Survey  of  India,  has  demonstrated  that  the  images  of  this  god  and  his 
brother  and  sister  in  the  Jagan-nath  temple  at  Puri  were  derived  from  the 
three  combined  emblems  of  the  Buddhist  Trinatra. 


KRISHNA. 


389 


stomachs  and  many  jaws,  all  people  are  much  alarmed. 
And  all  the  bands  of  kings,  together  with  our  principal 
warriors,  are  rapidly  entering  your  mouths,  fearful  and 
horrified  by  reason  of  your  jaws.  And  some  of  their 
heads  are  seen  stuck  in  the  spaces  between  the  teeth. 
As  a river’s  waters  run  towards  the  sea,  so  do  these 
heroes  enter  your  mouths.  As  butterflies  enter  a blaz- 
ing fire,  so  do  these  people  enter  your  mouths  only  to 
their  destruction.  Swallowing  all  these  people,  you  are 
licking  them  over  and  over  again  from  all  sides  with 
your  blazing  mouths.”  1 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  a greater  contrast  than 
that  between  this  description  and  the  simple  story  of 
the  Christ ; but  the  tedious  and  unmeaning  ceremonies 
still  performed  in  the  presence  of  the  idol  are  equally 
suggestive  of  this  contrast.  Sir  Monier  W illiams,  dur- 
ing a recent  visit  to  India,  was  allowed  to  witness  the 
early  morning  service  in  a Vaishnava  temple,  at  Poona, 
and  we  give  his  graphic  description  of  the  scene  in  his 
own  words. 

“ The  idol  of  the  god  Krishna  first  underwent  a 
process  of  being  aroused  from  its  supposed  nocturnal 
slumbers  by  the  attendant  priest,  who  invoked  the 
deity  by  name.  Then  a respectful  offering  of  water  in 
a boat-shaped  vessel  was  made  to  it.  Xext  the  whole 
idol  was  bathed  in  holy  water  poured  over  it  from  a 
small  perforated  metal  lota.  Then  the  attendant  priest 
standing  near,  applied  sandal  paste  with  his  finger  to 

i Bhagavad-gita.  Telang's  trails.,  pp  93-95. 

In  a previous  chapter  (page  601  attention  has  been  called  to  the  dif- 
ference in  the  translations  furnished  by  native  and  English  scholars. 
The  native  scholars  are  inclined  to  use  coarser  language  than  that  re- 
fined English  which  conies  to  11s  from  the  pens  of  such  men  as  Prof. 
Williams,  Max  Muller,  Ur.  Mliir,  and  others. 


390 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


the  idol’s  forehead  and  limbs,  and  taking  a brush 
painted  the  face  with  a bright  coloring  substance,  prob- 
ably saffron.  Next,  the  idol  was  dressed  and  decorated 
with  costly  clothes  and  ornaments.  Then  the  priest 
burnt  camphor  and  incense  and  moved  the  lights  be- 
fore the  image,  at  the  same  time  ringing  a bell.  Then 
flowers  and  the  leaves  of  the  sacred  tulasl  plant,  were 
offered,  followed  by  an  oblation  of  food,  consisting  of 
cooked  rice  and  sugar.  Next,  water  was  taken  out  of  a 
small  metal  vessel  with  a spoon  and  presented  for  sipping. 
The  god  was  supposed  to  consume  the  food  or  feast  upon 
its  aroma,  receiving  at  the  end  of  every  meal  an  offering 
of  betel  for  the  supposed  cleansing  of  his  mouth,  and 
a spoonful  more  of  water  for  a second  sipping. 

“ Finally  the  priest  prostrated  himself  before  the 
idol,  and  terminated  the  whole  ceremony  by  putting 
the  god  to  sleep  for  the  day. 

“While  he  was  going  through  these  ceremonial  acts 
he  appeared  to  be  mattering  texts,  and  during  the 
whole  service  a Brahman  was  seated  on  the  ground 
not  far  off,  who  intoned  portions  of  the  tenth  book  of 
the  Bhagavata-purana,  descriptive  of  the  life  of  Krish- 
na, reading  from  a copy  of  the  work  placed  before 
him.  At  the  same  time  a band  of  musicians  outside 
the  temple  played  a discordant  accompaniment  with 
tom-toms,  fifes,  and  drums. 

“ In  the  evening  the  process  of  waking,  undressing 
and  redressing  the  image  was  repeated,  but  without 
bathing.  Flowers  and  food  were  again  offered,  prayers 
and  texts  were  intoned,  a musical  service  was  per- 
formed and  the  idol  was  put  to  sleep  once  more.”  1 


i Brah.  and  Hin„  p.  144. 


KRISHNA. 


391 


The  fairest  estimate  of  any  book  or  religion  is  ob- 
tained by  an  examination  of  its  influence  upon  the 
lives  of  men,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  that  this  foolish 
round  of  ceremonies  before  the  idol  morning  and  even- 
ing can  only  have  a degrading  effect  both  upon  priest 
and  people.  Indeed,  this  senseless  adoration  of  the 
image  of  Krishna  prevents  all  moral  and  intellectual 
development  in  his  devotees.  But  far  more  injurious 
than  idolatry  is  the  worship  of  an  immoral  god,  and 
the  influence  of  the  boy  thief,  the  dishonorable  warrior, 
or  the  licentious  lover  is  far  more  degrading  to  the 
people  of  India  than  a lifetime  spent  in  dressing  and 
undressing,  washing  and  painting  an  idol.  “ Among 
the  Hindus,”  says  Wilson,  “entire  dependence  upon 
Krishna  or  any  other  favorite  deity,  not  only  obviates  the 
necessity  of  virtue,  but  it  sanctifies  vice.  Conduct  is 
wholly  immaterial.  It  matters  not  how  atrocious  a sin- 
ner a man  may  be,  if  he  paints  his  face,  his  arms,  with 
certain  sectarial  marks  ; or  if  he  die  with  the  word 
Hari  or  Rama  or  Krishna  on  his  lips,  he  may  have 
lived  a monster  of  iniquity,  he  is  certaiu  of  heaven.”  1 

SUMMARY. 

In  looking  over  the  facts  here  gathered  together, 
we  learn,  1st:  That  Krishna  worship  is  nowhere  found 
in  the  early  Yedic  writings  ; that,  although  sixty 
thousand  Krishnas  are  mentioned  in  Wilson’s  transla- 
tion of  the  ljig-veda,  they  are  all  the  names  of  black 
demons  whose  mission  is  depredation  and  devastation. 

2d.  That  in  the  Malni-bharata  we  have  the  men- 
tion of  “hundreds  and  thousands”  more  which  issued 


l Rel.  of  Hin.,  Vol.  II,  p.  75. 


392 


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* 

from  Siva,  the  god  of  destruction,  and  in  the  whole 
dark  multitude  of  persons  who  bear  this  name,  we 
find  represented  gods  and  demons,  men  and  devils, 
warriors  and  princes,  sages  and  commentators,  editors 
and  publishers. 

3d.  That  the  light  thrown  upon  the  real  life  of 
the  warrior  who  was  afterwards  deified  by  his  admirers, 
reveals  a very  unscrupulous  character. 

4th.  That  the  resemblances  to  the  facts  of  Chris- 
tian history  are  very  slight  and  evidently  introduced 
into  Hindu  literature  in  later  times. 

5th.  That  the  effort  to  show  a similarity  between 
two  names  of  such  entirely  opposite  signification  as 
Christ  and  Krishna  is  of  very  modern  origin,  and  re- 
pudiated by  all  scholars. 

6th.  That  the  revelation  of  Krishna’s  character 
which  was  made  to  Arjuna,  is  as  far  from  divine  sym 
metry  as  his  conduct  was  from  decent  morality. 

7th.  That  the  idolatry  of  the  boy  thief,  the  dis- 
honorable warrior,  and  the  licentious  lover  is  utterly 
degrading  to  the  people  of  India. 

8th.  That  the  fairest  estimate  of  any  hook  or  relig- 
ion is  an  examination  of  its  influence  upon  the  lives 
of  men,  and  the  worship  of  this  deity  with  his  six- 
teen thousand  wives  has  not  elevated  or  improved  the 
morals  of  his  devotees.  It  is  certain  that  much  of  the 
pollution  and  degradation  attendant  upon  Krishna 
worship  is  utterly  unfit  for  description. 

Far  over  and  above  the  worship  of  the  Hindu  stands 
the  ever-living  Son  of  God.  From  His  stainless  life 
and  cruel  cross  has  been  horn  the  hope  of  the  world. 
One  glory-lit  sentence  from  His  divine  lips,  if  lived 


KRISHNA. 


393 


out  in  the  lives  of  men,  banishes  forever  the  pages  of 
wrong  and  cruelty  from  the  blood-stained  earth.  One 
touch  of  His  hand  has  broken  the  cold  seal  of  the 
death  angel  and  brought  immortality  to  light  through 
the  gospel.  One  mark  of  His  footstep  left  in  earth’s 
tomb  illumines  its  portals  with  the  golden  promise  of 
life.  One  word  from  His  lips  will  lead  His  risen  host 
to  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  where  the  waves  of 
the  beautiful  river  flow  from  the  foot  of  the  throne. 

He  is  the  “ Captain  of  our  Salvation,”  leading  on 
to  victory ; He  is  the  “ Morning  Star,”  shining  in 
brightness  beyond  the  night;  He  is  the  “Sun  of 
Righteousness,”  flooding  with  golden  light  the  coming 


ages. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CONCLUSION. 

HINDU  LITERATURE  — HINDUISM  — TEACHING  — THE 
EPIC  POEMS  — THE  PURANAS — VEDIC  WORSHIP  BET- 
TER THAN  IDOLATRY. 

TTTE  have  now  followed  the  principal  line  of  Hindu 
’ ’ literature  from  its  earliest  beginnings  in  the 
hymns  of  the  Rig-veda  down  to  the  Puranas  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  Having  examined  the  liturgy  of  the  Brah- 
manas,  the  mystical  philosophy  of  the  Upanishads  and 
the  legal  code  of  the  Hindus;  having  wandered  through 
the  tropical  luxuriance  of  their  epic  poetry  and  the  fan- 
ciful cosmogonies  of  their  Puranas ; having  studied  the 
character  of  their  gods  from  the  beginning  of  their 
mythology  down  to  Siva  and  Krishna,  their  most 
modern  deities,  we  are  prepared  to  appreciate  not 
only  the  beauties  of  their  literature,  but  the  relative 
value  of  their  teachings. 

HINDUISM. 

The  term  Hinduism  is  applied  to  the  complex  sys- 
tem of  faith  which  characterizes  the  modern  Hindu 
thought,  and  which  appears  to  be  a union  of  Brah- 
manism and  Buddhism  ; of  theism  and  polytheism — a 
system  which,  although  influenced  to  a certain  extent 
by  a purer  principle,  scruples  not  to  worship  still  the 

394 


conclusion-. 


395 


serpent  power,  or  to  mingle  the  adoration  of  the  fish 
or  the  boar  with  that  of  the  living  God. 

Nearly  two  hundred  millions  of  the  people  of  India 
are  bewildered  with  the  strange  tenets  of  a creed 
which  combines  the  teachings  of  monotheism  with  the 
worship  of  a multitude  of  idols — which  declares  in 
one  paragraph  that  there  is  but  one  god,  and  still 
inculcates  on  every  page  the  veneration  of  some  of 
the  millions  of  deities  in  the  Hindu  pantheon. 

The  word  Hinduism  may  also  be  used  to  indicate 
the  ritualism  of  that  people  in  its  various  phases  of 
development  from  its  birthplace  in  the  highlands 
around  the  sources  of  the  Oxus  river  down  to  the 
idol  temples  of  to-day,  where  the  modern  deities,  Siva 
and  Krishna,  are  supposed  to  hold  their  court. 

Hinduism  as  the  appellation  of  all  their  religious 
thought  was  born  in  the  early  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda, 
those  simple  pastoral  songs,  reaching  back  nearly  to 
the  birth  of  Moses,  and  living  still  in  the  literature 
of  men.  The  ages  which  have  come  and  gone  since 
their  musical  numbers  were  first  breathed  upon  the 
still  air  have  enhanced  rather  than  diminished  their 
beauty.  The  great  heart  of  humanity  has  ever  hun- 
gered for  the  loving  touch  of  the  Infinite.  Away 
back  in  the  ages,  so  near  to  the  morning  of  time,  the 
children  of  men  sawr  the  sun  as  he  moved  on  his  tri- 
umphal march  through  the  heavens,  or  floated  away 
at  evening  on  a sea  of  gold  and  crimson  splendor, 
and  they  sang  the  glories  of  Mitra,  the  god  of  day. 

When  the  tropical  sun  poured  down  his  noonday 
heat,  and  the  flowers  wilted  beneath  his  touch  ; when 
the  earth  wTas  parched  and  her  sands  were  barren ; 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


396 

when  her  rivers  were  low  and  famine  was  abroad  in 
the  laud ; then  the  clouds  were  gathered  in  a dark 
canopy  before  the  sun,  and  showers  were  poured  upon 
the  thirsting  earth,  while  the  sons  of  the  Southland 
looked  upward  again  and  brought  their  offerings  of 
praise  to  Indra,  the  rain  god. 

When  the  soft  wind  passed  through  the  heated  air 
and  came  laden  with  the  fragrant  breath  of  the  orange 
and  mango  blossoms  they  praised  the  bright  Maruts, 
the  breezes  with  their  “ dappled  steeds”  that  brought 
healing  unto  man. 

When  night  came  down  and  cooled  the  fevered 
landscape  with  her  gentle  touch,  and  kissed  with  her 
cool  breath  the  burning  brow  of  her  worshiper,  then 
he  sang  of  Varuna,  the  sky  god,  whose  countless  eyes 
look  down  upon  the  deeds  of  men. 

When  the  shadows  of  night  fled  away  before  the 
gray  light  of  morning,  the  imaginative  Hindu  dreamed 
that  the  dawn  was  a beautiful  woman  wearing  a robe 
of  silvery  cloud  and  a diadem  of  tinted  pearl.  When 
the  crimson  sunlight  flushed  the  eastern  sky  he  fancied 
that  her  pure  face  was  blushing  beneath  the  kisses  of 
the  god  of  day,  and  Ushas,  the  goddess  of  the  morn- 
ing, wearing  her  crown  of  golden  light,  received  his 
homage. 

Thus  the  early  hymns  of  the  Veda  were  chanted 
prayer  and  praise,  and  Hinduism  was  brightest  and 
purest  at  its  fountain  head.  But  this  simple  nature 
worship  multiplied  itself  in  a thousand  forms.  It 
was  burdened  with  the  liturgy  and  priestcraft  of  the 
Brahmanas,  the  mystical  teachings  of  the  Upanishads, 
and  the  cruelty  of  the  Code  of  Manu.  Altars  were 


CONCLUSION. 


397 


stained  with  human  blood,  and  for  two  thousand  years 
living  women  were  burned  upon  the  dead  bodies  of 
their  husbands,  while  innocent  babes  were  thrown  to 
the  sacred  crocodiles  of  the  Ganges.  Beginning  with 
the  adoration  of  the  sun  and  stars,  Hinduism  sank 
lower  and  lower  until  in  the  Puranas  of  mediaeval  times 
even  the  conduct  of  Krishna  is  eulogized,  and  licen- 
tiousness becomes  a feature  of  public  worship. 

TEACHINGS. 

We  have  seen  that  the  earliest  hymns  of  the  Kig- 
veda  are  beautiful  songs  of  praise  to  the  forces  and 
glories  of  nature,  which,  however,  soon  degenerate  into 
the  rambling,  wearisome  liturgy  of  the  Brahmanas 
with  their  burden  of  priestly  rule  and  their  cardinal 
doctrine  of  pantheism,  which  claims  that  God  is 
everything  and  everything  is  God ; that  the  gods 
are  nourished  by  the  food  which  is  offered  in  sacri- 
fice, and  without  which  their  deities  would  perish  with 
hunger. 

We  have  found  the  Hpanishads  to  be  the  doctrinal 
portion  of  the  Veda — a wilderness  of  mystical  specula- 
tion with  fanciful  cosmogonies  and  theories  concern- 
ing the  origin  of  man.  The  main  object  of  the 
Upanishads  appears  to  be  the  discovery  of  some  method 
of  escaping  from  the  endless  round  of  transmigration 
and  of  resting  in  the  arms  of  oblivion.  To  this  end  is 
inculcated  the  virtue  of  absolute  inaction  of  body  and 
mind.  Man  is  taught  that  he  must  neither  love  nor 
hate,  hope  nor  fear,  for  the  most  complete  mental  and 
physical  idleness,  the  utmost  freedom  from  all  emo- 
tion, is  the  nearest  approach  to  the  heavenly  state  of 


398 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


complete  and  eternal  unconsciousness,  which  is  the 
highest  spiritual  ambition  of  Hinduism. 

It  is  claimed  that  he  who  would  attain  this  per- 
fected state  must  go  through  six  successive  courses  of 
penance,  each  course  to  be  continued  for  twelve  years, 
and  that  during  these  seventy-two  years  he  must  do 
absolutely  nothing  except  to  meditate  upon  Brahma. 
If  he  does  not  do  this  in  the  present  life  he  may 
perform  the  necessary  penance  in  some  future  condi- 
tion induced  by  transmigration. 

Sir  Monier  Williams  speaks  of  two  devotees  whom 
he  saw  in  India,  the  one  at  Gaya  and  the  other  at 
Benares.  The  arm  of  the  first  was  entirely  withered 
by  inaction,  while  his  motionless  fist  was  so  tightly 
clenched  that  the  nails  were  growing  through  the 
back  of  his  hand.  The  other  “looked  like  a piece  of 
sculpture,  sitting  in  a niche  of  the  Anna-purna  tem- 
ple, perfectly  motionless  and  impassive,  with  naked 
body  smeared  all  over  with  white  ashes,  matted  hair, 
and  the  forefinger  of  the  upraised  hand  pointing  to 
the  heaven  to  which  in  imagination  he  seemed  to  be 
already  transporting  himself.”  1 

The  epic  poems  of  India,  the  Ramayana  and  the 
Maha-bharata,  also  teach  the  philosophy  of  self-dis- 
cipline and  mortification  until  a condition  of  complete 
apathy  is  attained. 

There  is  a constant  round  of  ceremonies,  sacrifices, 
and  oblations.  There  is  the  worship  of  monkeys  and 
seqients,  of  birds  and  tigers,  of  elephants  and  parrots, 
of  the  turtle,  the  crocodile,  and  a multitude  of  other 
animals,  as  well  as  trees,  plants,  and  stones.  Indeed, 


l Brah,  and  Hin  , p.  87. 


CONCLUSION. 


399 


the  worship  of  the  women  of  India  at  the  present  day 
consists  largely  in  walking  hundreds  of  times  around 
a tulasi  plant,  which  is  supposed  to  represent  the  wife 
of  Vishnu,  or  Sita,  the  devoted  wife  of  Kama.  Yet, 
as  compared  with  the  endless  round  of  ceremonies,  a 
few  years  of  austerities  or  enforced  idleness  is  the  work 
which  of  all  others  bestows  the  greatest  merit.  A con- 
dition of  entire  mental  vacuity  is  represented  as  being 
the  nearest  to  complete  identification  with  the  one 
universal  spirit,  which  involves  liberation  from  all  per- 
sonality and  consciousness.1 

The  Puranas,  which  claim  to  be  direct  revelations 
from  deity,  constitute  the  bible  of  one  of  the  most 
modern  forms  of  Hinduism,  viz.,  Vaishnavism,  or  the 
worship  of  Vishnu,  and  the  form  in  which  this  sect 
now  shows  itself  principally  is  in  the  worship  of  Krishna, 
one  of  the  latest  incarnations  of  Vishnu.  Vaishnavism 
is  perhaps  the  most  composite  of  all  the  religions  of 
India.  It  seems  to  teach  all  forms  of  Hinduism,  re- 
gardless of  their  opposite  characteristics  : it  advocates 
the  claims  of  one  god  and  also  of  a multitude ; it 
teaches  pantheism  and  penance,  self-mortification  and 
self-indulgence,  virtue  and  licentiousness. 

It  often  advocates  monotheism,  and  at  times  sets 
aside  all  other  gods  than  Vishnu.  The  Hindu  theist 
claims  that  there  is  but  one  god,  one  Being  in  millions 
of  forms.  To  this  universal  spirit,  devotion  may  be 

i The  universal  testimony  of  Hinduism  is  that  the  spirit  or  soul  is  im- 
mortal, hut  says  Prof,  Williams,  “It  is  generally  better  to  translate  the 
philosophical  terms  Atman,  Brahman,  and  Purusha  by  ■ spirit  ’ rather 
than  by  soul,  because  the  expression  1 soul  ’ is  liable  to  convey  the  idea 
of  thinking  and  feeling,  whereas  pure  Atman,  Brahman  and  Purusha 
neither  ' think,  nor  feel,  nor  are  conscious.’  ” (Brah.  and  Hin.,  note  to 
page  27.) 


400 


THE  ANCIENT  BOOKS  OF  INDIA. 


rendered  through  thousands  of  inferior  gods;  through 
the  ghosts  of  dead  ancestors ; through  living  heroes, 
animals,  and  plants ; through  mountains  and  stones ; 
through  the  stars  of  heaven  or  the  painted  idols  of 
earth.  Hence,  he  asserts  that  whenever  any  one  of 
the  millions  of  gods  in  the  Hindu  pantheon  is  pro- 
pitiated by  sacrifice  or  oblations,  the  Supreme  Lord  is 
gratified.  But  instead  of  believing  “that  there  is  one 
mediator  between  God  and  man,”  he  holds  that  there 
are  thousands,  nay,  millions,  of  mediators,  any  one  of 
which  may  be  a tiger  or  a cow,  a fish  or  a serpent,  a 
crocodile  or  a baboon. 

The  early  Yedic  worshiper  paid  his  homage  to  the 
sun  and  moon,  but  the  modern  Hindu  adores  the 
crocodile,  which  hides  amidst  the  weeds  of'  the  Ganges. 

How  is  the  mind  of  the  worshiper  fallen,  when, 
instead  of  offering  his  praises  to  the  icy  brow  of  the 
Himalaya,  flushed  with  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun, 
he  brings  his  oblation  to  the  serpents  that  infest  the 
rocks  at  her  feet  ? 

Far  better  than  modern  idolatry  was  their  primitive 
worship  of  mountain  and  storm  ; better  than  the  con- 
fused medley  of  their  creeds  were  the  oblations  down 
by  the  shores  of  the  crested  sea ; better  than  warrior 
worship,  their  songs  of  praise  to  the  stars  that  sweep 
around  the  midnight  throne ; better  than  the  idol 
temples  of  to-day  were  the  sacred  groves  on  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Himalayas,  where  the  golden  eagle  circled 
above  the  highest  crags,  and  the  goddess  of  the  morn- 
ing, with  tinted  robe  and  crown  of  pearl,  smiled 
down  upon  her  worshiper. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Abraham,  6,  15,  74,  79. 

Achilles,  155,  157. 

Adam,  6. 

Adelung,  12. 

Adhvatma  Ramayana,  n 248. 
Aditya,  10,  32,  33,  53,  122. 
iEolus,  51. 

Agni,  10,  30,  63,  69,  96,  116,  132, 
261;  hymn  to,  31. 

Agni-purana,  368. 

Aitareya  Aranyaka,  n 133. 
Aitareya  Brahmana,  76.  79,  109. 
Aitareya  Upanishad,  109. 

Akbar,  n 300. 

Alexander,  n 12,  13. 

Alexandria,  11. 

Allah  Upanishad,  101. 

Amethyst,  28. 

Amsumati  river,  377. 

Analogy,  between  myths,  Chaps. 
II,  III. 

Anasuya,  wife  of  Atn,  216. 
Ancient  books,  1,  2,  12,  15. 
Angada,  son  of  Bali,  235. 
Animals,  creation  of,  131,  135, 
137. 

Animal  sacrifices,  44,  76,  95. 
Anka,  of  Arabia,  58. 

Anantavat,  117. 

Anna-purna  temple,  398. 
Antelope,  in  sacrifice,  96. 
Arawyakas,  74,  101,  109. 
Arimaspians,  58. 

Arjuna,  283.  344,  351,  392;  de- 
scription of,  286;  triumph  of, 
293 ; at  Dvaraka,  320. 
Arundelian  marbles,  48. 
Arundhatl,  90. 


Aryan  inaders,  n 233 ; myths,  48 ; 
race,  24,  29,  48,  49,  64,  160, 
279. 

Asclepias  acida,  22. 

Asoka,  a tree,  241. 

Asoka,  the  Constantine  of  Buddh- 
ism, n 12. 

Asva-medha,  44,  159,  164,  206, 
314,  326. 

Asva-pati,  king  of  Kekaya,  327. 
Asvatthaman,  309. 

Asvins,  170. 

Atergatis,  Syrian  goddess,  n 55. 
Atharva-veda,  10,  53. 

Athens,  35. 

Atman,  134,  n 399 
: Atri,  the  sage,  216. 

Avatars,  57. 

Ayodhya  (Oude),  155,  161,  et  seq. 

ft. 

Baal,  n 100. 

Baber,  n 300. 

Babylon,  80. 

Babylonian  legend,  n 55. 

Bacchus,  22. 

Bala-deva,  368. 

Bala-rama,  56,  317,  380,  388. 
Balder,  n 49. 

Bali,  56,  234,  235,  359. 

Bauddhas,  360. 

Beal,  4. 

Benares,  373,  398. 

Bentinck,  Lord  Wm.,  73. 
Bhagavad-glta,  n 280,  281,  304; 
age  of,  343 ; origin  of,  344 ; ex- 
tracts from,  344,  346. 
Bhagavata-punma,  358,  362.  365, 
385,  390. 


401 


402 


INDEX. 


Bhaglratha,  206. 

Bharata,  177,  et  seq. 

Bhavishya-purana,  369. 

Bhlma,  283,  293,  301,  323. 

Bhlshma,  299,  300,  308,  314,  365. 

Bhogavati,  capital  of  serpent  city, 
223. 

Bhus,  sacred  interjection,  11. 

Bhuvas,  sacred  interjection,  11. 

Bible,  6,  n 158; 

Bibliotheca  Indica,  109,  n 110. 

Blavatzskv,  Madame,  n 383. 

Births,  number  of,  144. 

Boar,  heavenly,  118,  127. 

Body,  without,  113,  119. 

Boyses,  71. 

Brahma,  prayer,  41 ; universal 
spii’it,  52,  114,  115,  120,  131,  n 
399. 

Brahma,  creator,  10,  22,  50,  51, 
52,  85,  134;  day  of,  123;  descent 
of  animals  from, 135;  death  of, 
115,  124. 

Brahman,  Supreme  Spirit,  134, 
147;  feet  of,  116. 

Brahmans,  priests,  5,  8,  41,  42, 
56,  74,  85,  88;  divine  right  of, 
75,  84,  86,  97. 

Brahmanas,  part  of  the  Veda,  8, 
11,  54,  74,  78,  101,  113,  396. 

Brahmana  period,  14. 

BrahmSwI,  216. 

Brahma-purSna,  358. 

Brahma-vaivarta,  369,  385. 

Brahmanism,  n 9;  origin  of,  75, 
86;  formulation  of,  14;  tyranny 
of,  85,  92. 

Brahmanism  and  Hinduism,  n 15, 
n 17,  n 390,  n 398. 

Brahmanical  compilers,  277,  282. 

Brahman da-purana,  374. 

Bridge,  ocean,  250. 

Brighu,  85. 

Bryant,  361. 

Buddha,  14,  56. 

Buddhism,  101,  354. 

Buckley,  48. 

Bushby,  J.  H.,  68. 

Biihler,  4. 

Burr,  Dr.,  343. 


c. 

Cabul,  n 300. 

Caesar,  n 296. 

Caitra,  month  of,  175. 

<7akra,  168,  365. 

Calcutta,  6,  68,  281,  378. 
Camalata,  love’s  creeper,  n 28, 
149. 

Camasane,  n 55. 

Caste,  21,  85,  87 ; sins  against, 
145. 

Caucasian  mountains,  n 57. 

Celtic,  n 29. 

Cerberus,  35. 

Ceremonies,  76,  78,  84,  88,  97; 
burden  of,  74,  90,  97;  funeral, 
84;  marriage,  84,  89. 

Ceres,  50,  51. 

Ceylon,  223,  237,  250,  364. 
Chaldeans,  n 100. 

Chalva,  king  of,  330. 
Champollion,  n 35. 

Chandogya  Upanishad,  101,  124, 
141,  361 ; extract  from,  104, 121, 
378. 

Child,  golden,  18,  27;  hymn  to, 
18. 

China,  14,  80:  dragon  of,  58. 
Chips  from  a German  Workshop, 
n 6,  n 13,  n 15,  n 19,  n 29. 
Christ,  383,  387. 

Christian  era,  54,  92,  158,  378, 

382,  383. 

Christian  history,  resemblances  to, 

383,  385,  392.' 

Christianity,  62,  92. 

Christians,  Syrian,  62. 
Chronology,  158,  277,  356. 
Citra-kufa,  214,  262,  266,  268; 

description  of,  208. 

Colebrook,  H.  T.,  3.  67,  367. 
Collins,  Richard,  n 316,  343,  386. 
Confucius,  14. 

Cosmogony,  6,52,  59;  Hindi!,  121, 
122,  128;  Mosaic,  129. 
Cosmography,  126. 

Cosmos,  128,  n 129. 

Councils  of  war,  296. 

Cow,  sacred,  23,  76,  95. 

Cowell,  Prof.  E.  B.,  4,  n 110,  n 
386. 


INDEX. 


403 


Crimes,  93,  145;  penalty  for,  152. 
Crown  of  youth,  217,  257,  209. 
Cunningham,  Maj-Gen.,  n 388. 
Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  14. 

D. 

Daksha,  169,  170. 

Dakshma,  96. 

DancZaka,  forest,  180,  185,  192, 
202,  218,  219,  226. 

Daniel,  14. 

Darmesteter,  4. 

Dasaratha,  raja,  164,  165,  172; 
march  of,  172,  174;  confession 
of,  195;  death  of,  201,  213. 
Death,  king  of,  36,  107,  200. 

De  Bello  Gallieo,  n 296. 

Deer,  golden,  225. 

Deukalion,  ruler  of  Thessaly,  n81. 
Devas,  deities,  115, 142. 

DevakI,  363, 371 , 378, 379, 385, 387. 
Devolution,  136. 

Dhanvantari,  physician  of  the 
gods,  60. 

Dhrita-rashfra,  274,283;  retires  to 
the  jungle,  315;  death  of,  316. 
Divine  song,  342,  344,  352. 
Division  of  raj,  288. 

Donar,  German,  43. 

Domestic  ritae,  76,  91,  95,  97. 
Dowson,  157. 

Draupada,  raja,  289.  293. 
DraupadI,  289,  et  stq. ; beauty  of, 
289,  291 ; marries  five  husbands, 
294,  296,  368,  377. 

Dreams,  penance  for,  76. 

Droraa,  288,  308,  309,  350,  351, 
378,  380, 

DuAsasana,  283,  301. 

Durga,  wife  of  (Siva,  50,  61,  64. 
Duryodhana,  280,  283 ; combat 
with  Bhlma,  287. 

Dushana,  222. 

Duncker,  Prof.,  125. 

Dvapara,  third  age,  56. 

Dvaraka,  317,  381,  382;  destruc- 
tion of,  321,371. 

E. 

Eagle,  of  the  Yggdrasil,  58. 
Eagle,  golden,  28,  400. 


Earth,  Sita’s  invocation  to,  270; 

goddess  of,  271. 

East  India  Co.,  2. 

Eastwick,  Prof.,  n 57. 

Edda,  n 49,  n 58. 

Egg,  cosmic,  122,  123,  359,  361, 
374. 

Eggling,  Julius,  4,  74. 

Egypt,  80. 

Egyptian  fable,  58;  mythology,  n 
35. 

English  government,  66,  68. 
Eorosh,  Zend,  58. 

Eos,  37. 

Epeus,  51. 

Epics,  4,  9,  48,  52,  152,  155,  n 

158,  159,  160,  272,  277,  394. 
Epicurus,  n 360. 

European  orientalists,  68;  schol- 
ars, 1,  3,  105,  280,  355. 
Eusebius,  n 383. 

Evolution  and  pantheism,  125. 
Execration,  hymns  of,  41. 
Extermination,  war  of,  311. 

F. 

Faber,  361. 

Faith,  confession  of,  114. 

Fires,  sacred  or  sacrificial,  30,  77, 
78,  182 ; funeral,  95,  96. 

Flood,  tradition  of,  80,  367,374. 
Fortune,  explanation  of  varied, 
144. 

Frey,  Northern  god  of  rain  and 
sunshine,  49. 

Gandhari,  n 283,  286. 

Gandharvas,  celestial  musicians, 
173. 

Gandharva  Visvasu,  78. 

GawcZiva,  305,  345. 

Ga?iesa,  the  Janus  of  India,  51,  64; 

description  of,  63. 

Gang;!,  206,  216. 

Ganges,  1,  3,  7,  73,  149,  153, 

159,  160,  161,  182,  204,  271, 
325,  397,  400;  crossing  the,  205; 
story  of,  206. 

Garhapatya  fire,  96. 


404 


INDEX. 


Garuda,  Vishnu’s  bird,  57,  58, 
165,  168,  252. 

GarucZa-purana,  374. 

Genesis,  128. 

Germany,  6,  105. 

Gerd,  40, 

Girav-raja,  185. 

Gods,  conclave  of,  165,  n 233. 
Godavari  river,  218. 

Goloka,  370. 

Gopala,  359. 

Gopas,  370. 

Gogra,  river,  161. 

Gopls,  358,  370. 

Gospels,  resemblances  to,  364. 
Gosains,  372,  385. 

Gotama,  40. 

Great  War,  273,  283;  prepara- 
tions for,  300. 

Greek,  n 29. 

Greece,  gods  of,  43,  45,  47,  50, 
253. 

Grecian  laws,  14. 

Griffin  of  chivalry,  58. 

Griffiths,  4,  n 163. 

Grote,  48. 

Groves,  sacred,  1,  15,  100. 

Gupta  kings,  360. 

Gujarat,  384. 

ii. 

Hanuman,  233,  236,  n 305;  in- 
terview with  Slta,  243;  capture 
of,  244. 

I lawasa,  flamingo,  117. 
Hardwick,  n 279. 

Hari,  131. 

Hariscandra,  king,  79. 
Hari-vansa,  358. 

HastinSpur,  ancient  Delhi,  283. 
Ilaug,  Prof.,  n 77,  n 79. 

Heaven  of  Brahma,  147,  165;  of 
Indra,  148;  temporary,  146;  of 
Vishnu,  149;  inhabitants  of, 
151. 

Hebrews,  14. 

Hector,  157. 

Hel,  place  of  the  dead,  49. 

Hells,  number  of,  149,  366 ; va- 
riety of,  150. 

Helen,  155. 


Henry  the  Eighth,  n 266. 
Hercules,  254. 

Hermit,  180,  196,  216. 

Hermit’s  son,  death  of,  197,  200. 
Hormod,  n 49. 

Herodotus,  48. 

Hesiod,  34,  n 60. 

Hestia,  30. 

Heyne,  n 48. 
llieropolis,  n 55. 

Himalayas,  1,  7,  153,  223. 
nimavat,  206,  322. 

Hindu,  deities,  62,  64,  266;  the- 
ology, 146,  n 337 ; law,  84,  et 
seq. ; literature,  divisions  of,  8, 
74,  99,  152;  scriptures,  12;  wo- 
men, 91,  275. 

Hinduism,  394,  396. 

History,  of  India,  n 235:  of  San- 
skrit literature,  n 12,  n 13,  n 
14,  n 19. 

nomer,  7,  48,  158,  277,  278. 
Humboldt,  Baron  Von,  128. 

I. 

Idolatrv,  17,  26,  400. 

Iliad,  36,  44,  47,  48, 155, 158,  278, 
357. 

Incarnations  of  Vishnu,  159. 
India,  1. 

Indian  epics,  9,  152. 

Indra,  24,  29,  42,  54,  64,  396; 
hymn  to,  25,  46;  horses  of,  47, 
48. 

Indrajit,  son  of  Ravana,  252. 
Indra-prastha,  288. 

Inscriptions,  14. 

Interpolations,  159,  279,  200,  n 
297,  n 302,  343,  384. 

Isa  Upanishad,  112. 

/s-lord,  111. 

Israel,  children  of,  n 100. 

J. 

Jacobi,  4. 

.Jacolliot,  M.,  356. 

Jagan-nath,  358,  359,  388. 
Jambavati,  364. 

Janaka,  raja,  169. 

Janaka,  daughter  of,  170. 

Janus,  51,  n 55. 


INDEX. 


405 


Japanese,  58. 

Japheth,  11. 

Jessamine,  154. 

Job,  128. 

Jolly,  4. 

Jones,  Sir  Win.,  3,  6,  12,  94,  112, 
355 

Jove,  29,  43,  44,  45. 

Jumna  river,  288,  379. 

K. 

Kaikeyl,  wife  of  raja,  177,  et  seq. 
Kali,  42,  61. 

Kalpa,  period  of  time,  126,  134, 
151,  372. 

Kama,  god  of  love,  51. 

Kansa,  king,  362,  380,  385. 
Kanva,  75. 

Kapila,  sage,  206. 

Kama,  299,  311. 

Kartti-keya,  god  of  war,  51,  63, 64. 
Kashinath  Trimbak  Telang,  158, 
280,  n 344. 

Ka-sl,  373. 

Kafha  Upanishad,  106. 

Kauravas,  274,  283,  304. 
Kausalya,  queen,  168,  186. 
Kaushltaki-brahmana  Upanishad, 
110. 

Kekaya,  king  of,  327. 

Kena  Upanishad,  105. 

Kerkes,  of  the  Turks,  58,  375. 
A7ianda,  10. 

AT/iandas  period,  15. 

A7tandogya,  n 101. 

Khara,  brother  of  *STirpa-naka, 
221,  et  seq. 

Kinsuka,  tree,  209,  312. 

Kirni,  58. 

Klaproth,  11. 

Ko.sala,  raj,  161,  193. 

Krishna,  56,61,  279,  297,  309,  317, 
376;  birth  of,  362,  371;  wives  of, 
n 320,  364 ; description  of,  342, 
349 ; self-adulation  of,  348 ; 
worship  of,  387;  death  of,  319, 
365,  381. 

Krishna  Bahadur,  378. 

Krishna,  a Rishi  of  Angira,  377. 
Krishna,  son  of  Devakiputra,  378. 
Krishna  DraupadI,  377,  379. 


Krishna  Dvaipayana,  354,  377. 
Krishna-mi.sra,  378. 
Krishna-tarkrtlankara,  378. 
Krishna-varma,  379. 

Kshatriya,  56,  86,  87,  90,  96. 
Kura,  283. 

Kurina,  tortoise,  55,  59. 
Kurma-purana,  373. 
Kuru-kshetra,  300. 

Ivusa,  son  of  Rama,  267,  268. 
Kusa  or  sacred  grass,  77,  96,  118, 
218. 

Kuvera,  god  of  wealth,  166,  184, 
263. 

I.. 

Lakshmana,  168. 

Lakshml,  wife  of  Vishnu,  149, 
370. 

Langlois,  M.  A.,  357. 

Lanka,  155,  239.  245,  251. 

Lassen,  Prof.,  279,344,  375. 
Latin,  11,  n 29. 

Latin  poets,  n 35. 

Lava,  son  of  Rama,  267. 

Legge,  4. 

Leitner,  Dr.,  387. 

Life  in  exile,  210,  215,  218. 
Linga-purana,  372. 

Loki,  northern  god  of  fire,  49. 
Lorinser,  Dr.,  344. 

Love  conquers  death,  334,  340. 
Lucretius,  n 360. 

Lying  justifiable,  92,  181. 

M. 

Mackenzie,  Collin,  3. 

Madhwa,  commentator,  137,  138. 
Madhwacharya,  356. 

Magadha,  364. 

Maha-bharata,  5,  9,  13,  14,  53, 
55,  83,  152,  155,  272,  325,  342, 
354,  357,  362,  378;  age  of,  278; 
derivation  of,  272 ; historical  val- 
ue of,  273, 275;  religion  of,  275 : 
sanctity  of,  274,  276;  transla- 
tion of,  280;  legends  of,  283, 
304. 

Mahades,  358. 

Maha-deva,  53. 

Maghaven,  75. 


406 


INDEX. 


Mahratta,  n 300. 

Man,  origin  of,  131. 

Man,  reconstruction  of,  134. 
Manavas,  a school  of  Brahmans, 
84. 

MawcZakinI  river,  209. 

MancZala,  139. 

Mandara  mountain,  59,  238. 
Mantra,  portion  of  Veda,  8,  11. 
Mantras  texts,  69,  84,  98. 

Mann,  10,  14,  81,  85. 

Manu’s  code,  83,  84,  52,  54,  145, 
362;  infallibility  of,  98;  date  of 
84,  139;  cruelty  of,  93,  94. 
Manuscripts,  3 ; Vedie,  13;  forged, 
6. 

Markandeya-purSwa,  367. 
Marriage,  child,  26;  of  a Brah- 
man, 88;  of  Kama  and  Slta,171 ; 
of  Satyavan  and  Savitrl,  332. 
Mars,  49,51. 

Marshman,  73. 

Maruts,  storm  gods,  23, 30,  39,  54, 
396;  hymn  to,  39. 

Massie,  I)r.,  70. 

Matali,  256. 

Mathura,  379. 

Matsya,  fish,  55. 

Matsya-purana,  374. 

Menelaus,  155. 

Mercury,  51. 

Meru,  Mount,  126,  148,  321 . 
Metempsychosis,  26, 110, 139. 
Middle  Ages,  11,  51,  289. 

Mill,  Dr.,  n 100. 

Milman,  Dean,  281. 

Minerva,  51. 

Mitford,  14,  48. 

Mithila,  170. 

Mitra,  23,  24,  32,  34,  78,  395. 
Mohammedan  invasion,  371. 
Monkeys,  137,  168,  248,  250,  262. 
Monkey  expedition,  248. 
Monotheism,  19,  21. 

Muir,  Dr.,  n 38,  n 53,  281,  n 389. 
Muller,  Prof.  Max,  2,  3,  4,  5,  7, 
12,  13,  14,  n 19,  101,  102,  112, 
n 280,  343,  386,  n 389. 
Mutilated  text,  67. 

Mythology  of  Vedas, 28 ; of  Greece, 
30,  35,  48,  51;  of  Egypt,  n 35; 


of  Persia,  29;  of  Northern  Eu- 
rope, 29,  45,  48,  49,  58 ; of  later 
Hindu  works,  50;  Roman,  n 55. 

N. 

Naciketas,  107. 

Nagas,  serpent  demons,  124,  n 
224,  349. 

Nakula,  283. 

Nala,  monkey  general,  250. 
Nandi-grama,  215. 

Narada,  330,  331. 

Nara-sinha,  55. 

Nectar,  recovery  of,  59. 

Neptune,  34,  35,  49. 

Nicholson,  John,  277. 

Nidhogg,  serpent,  n 58. 

Night  scene,  310. 

Nymphs,  celestial,  147. 

o. 

Oannes,  n 55. 

Odin,  45. 

Odyssey,  36,  278,  n293,  n 321. 
(Egir,  49. 

Oldenberg,  4. 

Om,  sacred  syllable,  67,  102, 131, 
n 349,  372. 

Omens,  96,  317,  318. 

Orientalists,  3,  15,  72,  159. 

Oude,  161. 

Oxus  river,  395. 

i». 

Pada,  text,  n 376. 

Padma-purami,  353,  359,  385, 
388. 

Pagoda,  black,  358. 

Pahlavl,  383. 

Palmer,  4. 

Pampa  lake,  232. 

ParuZavas,  274,  283. 

Pandits,  or  Hindu  professors,  3, 
5,  6,  60. 

PawcZu,  283. 

Panipat,  n 300. 

Pantamus,  383. 

Pantheism,  19,  21,  114,  125,  137, 
355,  361. 

Parasu-rama,  56. 

Parijata,  59. 


INDEX. 


407 


Pai' vat  I,  wife  of  *Siva,  61. 
Patanjali,  280. 

Penance,  92. 

Persia,  14,  57. 

Persian,  n 29;  myths,  49;  trans- 
lation, 107 ; drawing,  n 57. 
Philosophical  Society  of  Great 
Britain,  343. 

Phoenix,  Egytian  fable,  58. 

Plato,  361. 

Plutp,  35,  36. 

Poetry,  1,  7,  15,  37. 

Polyandry,  n 296. 

Polygamy,  26. 

Polytheism,  19,  21. 

Prar/apati,  creator,  10;  year,  105. 
Prajapatya  penance,  70. 
PrakriO,"l23,  370. 

Pralhada,  349. 

Priestly  class,  40,  75,  86,  97. 
Privileges  of  Brahmans,  75,  86. 
PrapafXaka,  10. 

Punishment,  future,  149. 

Pur  anas,  12,  57,  118,  273,  352, 
399 ; signification  of  name,  354 : 
origin  of,  356 ; age  of,  357. 
Puranic  age,  44. 

Puri,  n 388. 

Purusha,  22,  109, 132,  136,  360,  n 
399. 

Purusha  hymn,  21,  85. 

Pushpaka,  n 262,  263. 

Pushya,  182,  188. 

Pyrtaneum,  30. 

Pyrrha,  wife  of  Deukalion,  n 81. 
Pythagoras,  14. 


R. 

Rad  ha,  wife  of  Krishna,  359,  369. 

Radhakant  Deb,  Raja,  68,  69,  71, 
72. 

Riighavas,  199. 

Raghu,  261. 

Raghu-nandana,  67. 

Rakshasas,  189,  216,  237,  240.  : 

Rama,  156,  159;  birth  of,  168; 
marriage  of,  171 ; installation 
of,  176,  264;  escort  of,  184,  194, 
262;  banishment  of,  185;  the 
farewells,  186,  192;  treachery 
of,  262,  267. 


Rama  and  Slta,  208,  210,  217,  219. 

Rama  Candra,  56. 

Ramayana,  4,  9,  54,  126,  137, 
152,  156, 160,  276,  278;  age  of, 
157;  author  of,  159;  length  of, 
160;  story  of,  161;  teaching  of, 
126. 

Rammohun  Roy,  100,  105,  107, 
113. 

Ravana,  demon  king,  63,  157, 
167,  364. 

Ravana,  description  of,  223,  229, 
252;  palace  of,  224,  240;  his 
pyre,  157,  257. 

Repeated  creations,  123, 124. 

Resurrection,  315,  316. 

Rewards,  146. 

Rhys,  Davids.  4. 

i?ig-veda,  1,  3,  10,  16,  24,  27,  36, 
38,  42,  52,  67,  75. 

B ig-veda  Sanhita,  Wilson’s  trans- 
lation, 4,  n 23. 

Rights  of  women,  91. 

2?ishi,  sage,  11,  85,  90. 

i?ishis,  113. 

/tishyamuka,  mountain,  233. 

Roer,  Dr.,  109,  112. 

Roth,  Prof.,  n 10. 

Rudra,  135. 

Rudras,  39,  53,  54. 

Ruminikl,  364,  365. 


s, 

Sabeanism,  n 100. 

Sabula,  mountain,  251. 

Sacred  books  of  the  east,  4. 
Sacrifice,  29,  44,  67,  72,  76,  78. 

80,  82,  88,  95,  99,  103. 

Sagara,  206. 

Sahadeva,  283. 

Shiva-purana,  366. 
iSaiva-pura,  366. 

Saloka,  147. 

Salya,  king,  311,  312. 

Sanaa- veda,  10,  101,  102,  103. 
Saman- verses,  11. 

Sampati,  vulture,  236. 

Sandals,  Rama’s  golden,  214,  215, 
263. 

Sanaudana,  sage,  127. 
Sandrokottos,  Indian  prince,  n 12. 


408 


INDEX. 


Sanhita,  4,  n 376. 

(Sankara  Acarya,  109,  356. 

Sankhya  philosophy,  138,  360,  n 
366,  367. 

Sanskrit  language,  2,  5,  11,  12, 
13,  68. 

Sanskrit  scholars,  67,  74,  101. 

Sanskrit  literature,  16,  97,  152, 
155,  352,  354. 

Sarah,  wife  of  Abraham,  6. 

Sarama,  36,  97. 

Sarasvati,  goddess  of  speech,  51. 

Sarayu  river,  161. 

(Siistra,  200,  245. 

iSatapatha-bralunana,  54,  55,  81, 
83,  140,  296. 

(Satru-glina,  168,  212,  268. 

Saturn,  30. 

Satya,  first  age,  56. 

Satyakama,  116,  117. 

Satya  van , prince,  326. 

Savitrl,  princess,  326;  a sacred 
text,  70,  93. 

Sayawa,  n 23,  109,  n 376. 

Scriptures,  Hebrew,  2,  5. 

Sea,  goddess  of,  154,  249. 

Sea  of  milk,  126,  161,  167,  168. 

Self,  highest,  114,  133,  136. 

Semitic  languages,  13. 

Semitic  races,  19. 

(Stesha,  serpent,  64,  n 224,  363. 

Similarity  of  myths,  28,  29,  31, 
48. 

Simurgh,  of  Persian  mythology, 
57. 

(Sisu-piila,  365. 

Sits,  155,  170;  petition  of,  191; 
abduction  of,  226;  search  for, 
230,  236;  replies  to  Hanuman, 
243;  replies  to  Ravana,  228, 
242;  trial  and  vindication,  259; 
banishment  of,  265;  sons  of, 
267 ; departure  of,  269. 

(Siva,  god  of  destruction,  39,  42, 
50,  51,  52,  54,61,  64,  149,  169, 
171,  291,  354,  366;  receiving 
the  Ganges,  206,  208. 

Skanda-purana,  372,  375. 

Sleipnir,  Odin’s  horse,  48. 

Smriti,  98,  101. 

Soma,  the  god,  22,  41 ; hymn  to, 


23;  juice,  23,  24,  40,  99;  the 
moon,  n 22,  142;  plant,  22. 
Sophocles,  n 35. 

Soul,  immortality  of,  108,  146. 
Soul,  of  the  wicked,  146. 

Soul,  of  the  faithful,  147. 

Spirit,  destination  of,  113,  141. 
Squirrel  of  Yggdrasil,  n 58. 
(Sraddha,  172. 

(Sri,  60. 

(Sri  Bhagavata,  366. 

(Sruti,  divinely  revealed  knowl- 
edge, 98,  101,  113. 

Stevenson,  15. 

St.  Ililiare,  15. 

Stoma  hymn,  109. 

Subhadra,  sister  of  Krishna,  388. 
(Sudra,  22,  86,  87. 

Sugrlva,  138,204,  232,  262;  story 
of,  234;  installation  of,  235. 
Sumantra,  counselor,  176. 
Sumitra,  168. 

(Suna/tsepa,  story  of,  79. 

Supreme  being,  53,  64. 

Surabhi,  sacred  cow,  59. 
(Surpa-nakha,  219. 

Surya,  20,  30,  32. 

Surya  sukta,  90. 

Sutra,  74. 

Sutra  period,  13,  14. 

Sutrakaras,  69. 

Suttee,  66;  disgrace  of  avoiding, 
70;  eulogy  of,  71;  instance  of 
escape  from,  70;  not  taught  in 
^ig-veda,  66,  70,  72. 

Svar,  sacred  interjection,  11. 
Svaya/n-vara,  289. 

(Svctasvatara  Upanishad,  119. 
.Sveta,  62. 

Syrian  goddess,  n 55. 

T. 

Talmud,  n 57. 

Tartarus,  king,  150. 

Testament,  old,  2,  5,  12. 
Testament,  new,  5. 

Teutonic  language,  n 29. 
Theogony,  Hesiod’s,  36. 

Thetis,  n 60. 

Thieving,  penalty  for,  94, 

Thor,  43,  45,  48. 


INDEX. 


409 


Thunar,  Saxon,  43. 

Tiger’s  skin,  sacred,  182,  313; 
worn  by  »Siva,  62. 

Todas,  n 296. 

Tournament,  284. 

Troops,  disposition  of,  301,  303, 
307. 

Translators,  3,  4. 

Transmigration,  346,  347,  348, 
397;  triple  system  of,  139;  dan- 
gers of,  143;  of  sinners,  146; 
difficulties  of,  142. 

Triad,  51,  52. 

Troy,  155, 

TulasI  dasa,  n 158,  159. 

Tyr,  northern  god  of  war,  49. 

TJ. 

Udgatri,  priest,  103. 

Udgitha,  102,  103,  104. 

Ulysses,  51,  n 293,  n 321. 

Universities,  6. 

Upanisliads,  9,  52,  69,  74,  83,  93, 
99,  344,  352,  396 : derivation  of, 
100;  age  of,  101;  monotheism 
of,  114;  teaching  of,  113,  121, 
131,  136,  140;  number  of,  100. 

Urd,  judgment  hall,  n 58. 

Urissa,  373. 

Ushas,  the  dawn,  26,  27,  30,  33, 
37,  49,  63,  396. 

Utkala,  358. 

v. 

Vahish-pavamana,  104. 

Vaisya,  86,  87. 

Vajasaneyi  Upanishad,  111. 

Vaka  Dalbhya,  104. 

Vallabha,  356. 

Valmlka,  137,  138,  n 158,  159, 
266,  269. 

Vamana,  dwarf,  56. 

Vamana-purana,  373. 

Varaha,  the  boar,  54,  55. 

Varaha-purana,  372. 

Varuna,  sky  god,  23,  24,  30,  33, 
34,  38,  63,  64,  78,  396. 

Vasishfha,  sage,  176,  182. 

Yasu-deva,  363,  368. 

Vasu-devas,  nine,  n 378. 

Vasuki,  serpent,  59, 223,  n224, 349. 


Vayu  air,  10,  23,  51. 

Vayu,  the  god,  116. 

Vayu-purana,  368. 

Veda,  1,  5,  8,  16;  antiquity  of,  5, 
11 ; doctrinal  portion  of,  99. 

Vedas,  9,  14,  36,  42,  177. 

Vedas  and  Suttee,  66. 

Vedanta,  102,  125,  141,  348,  361, 
367. 

Vedic  age,  9,  44;  deities,  37,  42, 
47,50;  songs  or  hymns,  1,  7,  11, 
13,  15,  29,  46,  48,  50,  155,  162; 
authority,  8,  69,  72;  literature, 
6,  16,  ‘101,  113.  115,  120; 

worship,  400. 

Venus,  n 60. 

Vestals,  31. 

Vibhlshana,  brother  of  Ravana, 
251. 

Vidura,  285. 

Vindu,  lake,  208. 

Viraj,  secondary  creator,  22,  123. 

Virafa,  king,  296,  297. 

Vishnu,  28,  50,  56,  57,  59,  64,  81, 
351,  354;  shield  of,  223;  crea- 
tion by,  127;  as  the  supreme 
god,  118;  institutes  of,  150; 
incarnations  of,  54. 

Vishnu-purana,  53,  123,  127,  135, 
149,  359,  367,  383,  385,  387. 

Vopadeva,  367. 

Vraja,  357. 

Vritra,  evil  spirit,  43,  256. 

Vulcan,  43,  44. 

Vyasa,  159,  295,  362. 

w. 

War,  council  of,  296. 

Warfare,  rules  of,  302. 

Weber,  Prof.,  62,  140,  158,  160, 
279,  280,  344,  383. 

West,  4. 

Wheeler,  J.  Talboys,  5,  15,  n 181, 
n 235,  n 266,  281,  n 297,  384. 

Whitney,  Prof.  W.  D.,  n 10,  n 12. 

Wife,  directions  for  choosing,  88. 

Wilford,  Lieut.,  5,  355. 

Wilkins,  159. 

Williams,  Sir  Monier,  n 9,  15,  n 
17,  60,  88,  94,  98,  101,  157,  160, 
233,  279,  281,  343,  352,  357, 


•410 


INDEX. 


379,  n 383,  n 386,  n 389,  398,  n 
399. 

Wilson,  Prof.  H.  FI.,  2,  3,  4,  15, 
24,  67,  68,  69,  71,  73,  137,  281, 
357,  360. 

Wilson’s  translation,  R-v.  San- 
hita,  n 23,  n 358,  n 376,  391. 

Wives,  duties  of,  69,  77,  90,  91, 
96. 

Wives  of  Krishna,  320,  364,  392. 

Wives  of  Ravana,  229,  241,  257. 

Wood,  48. 

World,  destruction  of,  123,  124. 

Y. 

Yadavas,  297. 

Yadavas,  destruction  of,  317. 

Yadu,  n 386. 

Yagus,  verses,  11. 

Yama,  35,  64,  107,  150. 

Yama,  abode  of,  36,  140;  dogs  of, 
35,  37;  hymn  to,  36;  bearing 


away  the  soul  of  Satyavan, 
336. 

Yaina’s  boons  to  Savitrl,  338. 

Yasoda,  363,  385. 

Yezeus,  386. 

Yggdrasil,  58. 

Yoga,  346,  366. 

Yogin,  n 118. 

Yojana,  a measure,  127,  370. 

Yudhi-shfira,  283,  296;  corona- 
tion of,  313;  abdication  of,  321, 
pilgrimage  of,  322;  ascension 
of,  323 ; in  hell,  324 ; in  heaven, 
325. 

Yukhush,  fabled  bird  of  the  Tal- 
mud, n 57. 

Yupa-post,  used  in  sacrifice,  77. 

Yuva-raja,  174,  235. 

z. 

Zephyrus,  51. 

Zoroaster,  14. 


